Chat Blanc
by Chimpukampu
Summary: Marinette never thought she has a thing towards green-eyed beings until that fateful rainy day. (An unconditional love story between a cat and his Princess)
1. How did it all begin

It was raining when she first saw _him_.

She just finished her nightly patrols and was about to go home when she heard a soft mewl. Curiosity got her, and when she followed the sound, she was led to an abandoned alley. Her footsteps reverberated on the bricked walls as she trekked the puddles, and the flickering street lamp across the road became her guide to locate the source.

There she found a damp box with a shivering feline.

Compassion assaulted her when she saw his bleary green eyes clogged with dried tears. It was evident that his fur was white, but the smudged dirt made it all grayish. No protective covering was offered to shield the poor kitten, and the box was left in an exposed area under a heavy downpour so he was totally drenched and on the verge of death.

Without further ado, she immediately plucked the feline with her gloved hands, then whirled her yo-yo to the rooftop for a speedy travel.

Her transformation vanished once she stepped into her room.

"Oh no." Tikki gasped when she saw the animal in the girl's arms.

"This fellow needs a warm bath," Marinette told her kwami. "Can you fetch me some small towel?"

The red god complied, then deposited the items near the bathroom sink as her charger caressed the kitten's body gently with lukewarm water. Both sighed with relief when they found no wounds on its frail body, and once securely cleaned, they wrapped his body in a thermal clothing.

"You can do it, buddy." the girl brushed his small head, earning a light purr. "Be strong, okay?"

A large towel fell and draped on top of her head. "You need to dry yourself too, Marinette. Or else you might get cold."

Her charger nodded, then glanced at the digital clock display on her table. It was already two in the morning - luckily it was Saturday, and she was free the entire weekends.

"Sleep well." she petted the bundled feline for the last time before she climbed into her loft bed to sleep.

She woke up five hours later.

"He's fine," Tikki assured her immediately before she jumped into conclusion. "Check him out."

The kitten peeled himself off from his layered blankets and somewhat settled near her trap door. His small ears perked up as she went downstairs, and with its wobbly feet, he began to paddle hastily to greet her.

"It seems that you're fine now, kitty." Marinette chuckled when he nuzzled her leg.

"What are you going to do?" Tikki asked cautiously. "Your parents might not like the idea of keeping him as a pet."

"I know." her charger groaned. "But I can't simply abandon this fellow. I don't have the gall to send him to a shelter without nursing his health back."

"You're too good for this world, Marinette."

Sabine was preparing their breakfast meal when her daughter entered the kitchen and was taken aback when she saw the feline on her arms.

"I found this fellow on my balcony last night." the girl reasoned out. "Probably fell down from the roof. His cries were barely muffled by the rain, and it was past midnight. I don't want to disturb you and Papa about it."

"You know that we have a bakery." her mother sighed. "And we can't have that little guy roam around here freely."

"He can stay in my room."

"You clutter. And you have several cloths and threads lying around."

"I can fix my mess, Maman."

This earned her a questioned look.

Tom appeared afterward and reprimanded her for the same reasons.

"But Papa - "

"No buts, Marinette. No pets allowed, and that is final."

His daughter sulked in her chair begrudgingly as she bit her loaf with remorse.

Sensing the weird tension in the atmosphere, the kitten waddled towards the burly man and gently rubbed his head on the person's leg.

" _Meow_."

The parents gave the pitiable feline an impassive look until Marinette went to the cupboard for a small dish and filled it with milk.

"Here, kitty kitty." the girl cooed, placing the dish on the floor.

The feline obeyed and lapped his meal mirthfully.

"I know how to be responsible," she muttered, then smiled when the cat gave a purr. "I'll make sure that he's not going to destroy anything here, or leave him wandering alone in the bakery."

"He might have rabies." her father pointed out.

"That's why I'm planning to bring him to a vet today. We don't know if he got some minor injuries. Or internal wounds." she replied then gave them a somber look. "What am I supposed to do to make me keep him?"

Her parents eyed each other for a moment before answering "We'll give you our verdict once you trained him within a week."

Of course, she accepted the challenge.

After cleaning the dishes, she fetched an old picnic basket from their storage area and transformed it into a cat carrier.

"I know you can do it, Marinette." Tikki cheered once they headed outside then poked the kitten's nose. "You got that, little being? You must obey your Master to earn your keep."

She was responded by a mewl.

Marinette only laughed as she closed the basket lid halfway.

The animal clinic in Champs-Elysées was able to accommodate walk-in clients like her without qualms. The head doctor, Dr. Moshe, was very informative and good at handling strays.

"His tests are all negative, Miss Dupain-Cheng." the doctor explained. "Though a bit malnourished for a three-month-old cat, but we can boost his health with a proper diet and regular shots."

The girl sighed with relief.

"You said that you found him in the alley last night?"

"Yeah," she answered glumly. "Probably abandoned by his previous owner. He was placed in an open box under the rain."

"Or maybe he escaped in a cattery. Most of the strays came from there."

She couldn't imagine the hardships one would suffer in order to survive in that hellish environment.

"It was miraculous he didn't suffer hypothermia or fell ill with pneumonia." the doctor went on. "There were faint scars on his hind legs, probably an old wound from an animal fight or got entangled with a barbed wire. His left ear has a chipped skin, which likely gnawed by rodents or other vicious predators."

"Poor kitty."

The white feline began to nuzzle her palms then gave a small lick, earning a giggle.

"Cats are affectionate beings, and terribly loyal to their Masters who showered them love and care." the doctor mused.

Marinette began to remember her masked partner who happened to be a feline superhero. "They're kind of attention-seekers and very boisterous with their selves. Sweet, sometimes annoying. Not to mention their overprotective nature."

"It's part of their genes to be territorial." Dr. Moshe commented while observing how the kitten rubbed himself all over his Master's skin. "And very flirty."

"Oh?" the girl's brows shoot up then picked the kitten to meet him at eye level. "Are you a flirty kitty?"

Said kitty cocked his head like a question then batted his green orbs innocently. " _Meow_."

"Definitely a flirty kitty." the doctor chortled with glee.

' _My plate is full already for another Cat-sanova_.' she scowled mentally. ' _Oh well, as long as he's not a punny one_.'

"Do you have a name for this little guy, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

Looking at the cat before her, Marinette didn't have to whack her brains to come up with a name. His beautiful emerald eyes gave it away, and its white fur was like a sandy blond hair that gleamed in the sunlight.

She smiled at the idea.

"Chat Blanc."


	2. First meeting

It was Monday when Marinette first introduced Chat Blanc to her friends.

"Oh my God, Marinette! He's so cute!" Alya gushed as she looked at her best friend's phone screen.

"I know right? Check this one." the pig-tailed girl announced proudly, swiping the screen to a different image. "Isn't he a charmer with a bell collar?"

"Chat's so adorable!" Rose squealed. "And you got him so chubby in less than a day!"

She shrugged her shoulders. "He's quite a glutton, but I still love him ridiculously. Want to see a video clip?"

Everybody awed when the kitten pawed and stumbled himself around the blue yarn.

"Chat must be lucky to live in a bakery." Alix chuckled. "And I bet he'll be flabby in a few weeks tops."

"And cuddlier," Juleka added.

"And stinker." Chloe snorted as she passed the hallway. "That's Chat the Stray, right?"

"He's domesticated now." the brunette harrumphed, then glanced at her fuming friend. "Don't mind her, Marinette. I bet Chat might piss her designer pants once he sees her."

The mayor's daughter didn't like to lose the argument.

"You never know he might have cooties." the blondie snickered.

"Chat doesn't have cooties!"

The girls were too preoccupied defending Chat to notice a certain model standing in the doorway with an abashed face.

"Hey, dude. Are you okay?" Nino shook his best friend's shoulder. "You looked like you've swallowed a bag of needles."

"Ma - Marinette. Di - di - did she just confessed...that she's...with Chat..." Adrien gulped with beet-red cheeks. "And they - they're fat-shaming Chat...and if he has cooties...?"

This earned a crooked brow. "You haven't heard about Marinette's Chat?"

He hasn't.

But after he saw an image of a white ball of fluff, Adrien couldn't help but awed by it.

"You rescued him just two days ago?" the model beamed, seeing the girl in a different light again. "You're so amazing, Marinette!"

"I - I'm not amazing! You're amazing! I mean not that you're not amazing, but I - I'm not! And I - I'm..."

The boy simply chuckled at her flustered mess as she clutched her phone like a lifeline. It saddens him how they were friends for almost a year yet she would cower at his mere presence. Too bad his sheltered life didn't teach him how not to intimidate a girl.

He was about to ask her again but got interrupted when their teacher entered their room and began her roll call.

The topic was dropped until lunchtime.

"C'mon, let's eat at Mari's!" Alya announced as she dragged the two boys. "I can't wait to meet Chat Blanc - oh, don't worry Girl, we're not staying in your room."

"Bu-but Chat's not a - allowed inside the bakery." the pig-tailed girl chewed her lower lip. "Pa - part of the a - agreement."

She informed them about the rules and regulations imposed by her parents in order for her to keep Chat Blanc, as well the required time period for her to train him properly. Say, potty training.

"I see." her friend massaged her temples then gave an exasperated sigh. "I bet your room was currently full of things you don't want us to see."

"Alya!"

The brunette only laughed much to her best friend's embarrassment.

"I'm curious though," Adrien asked as they continued walking. "Why, of all names, you choose Chat Blanc?"

Marinette tried to hide her flustered face but failed. "Be-because... _White Cat_?"

"Hmm. Point taken."

As the friends were about to head outside, they spotted a familiar feline sitting on the school gate fence as Mr. Haprèle tried to shoo it away.

Marinette gasped upon recognition. "Chat?!"

Chat Blanc ears perked up at the voice then launched himself to meet his Master's arms.

"Is that your pet, Miss Dupain-Cheng?" the school assistant asked the confounded girl.

"Ye-yes, Mr. Haprèle," she answered apologetically. "Did - did he do something wrong?"

The man shook his head, bemused. "Ah, no. Actually, that little fellow remotely stayed there for almost half an hour. If not for that bell collar, I might've presumed he's a stray and called Animal Control."

She paled as she inspected the mewling kitten, wondering how in the world he was able to follow her.

 _Did he escape from my hatch after I left?_

She made a mental note to invest for a new padlock.

"Is that your kitten, Mari?" her bespectacled friend halted his tracks, followed by the other two.

She nodded with a wry smile. "Guys, meet Chat Blanc."

The kitten's green orbs blinked at the trio.

"Oh my gosh! The picture didn't do any justice on his cuteness!" Alya squealed as she petted the cat's head which earned a mirthful purr. "Don't tell me he's here to fetch you home?"

The owner's face went into crimson. "So - something like that...?"

"Are you sure he's a _Chat_ and not a _Chien_?" Nino joked, scratching the pelt gently. "Because I'm sure no felines can go and track their Master's scent all the way from here."

"C'mon. He's just doing his job like a loyal Knight to protect his Lady." Adrien scoffed, trying to touch the animal's white fur.

It must be his enhanced reflexes or probably his heightened instinct that he moved his hand away before the cat swiped it with his sharp claws.

"Chat!" Marinette squeaked. Her mortification grew when the feline hissed.

"Whoa, dude! You okay?" the DJ patted his bewildered friend who couldn't believe he almost lost his hand. "Looks like Chat is ready to pounce you!"

"I -I - I'm so sorry, Adrien! I don't know what's wrong with him!" the pig-tailed girl stepped back while clutching her pet. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry - "

"It's alright, Marinette. I'm fine." the blond waved his hand, trying to dismiss the feral glares he was getting from the animal. "I understand that Chat Blanc was still not used in interacting with strangers."

"Bu - bu - bu - bu - but..."

"He's not hostile to me, dude," Nino muttered, and quite relieved that the cat finally relaxed at his ministration.

Alya stepped in front of them then sniffed Adrien's shirt. "It must be your smell."

"My _what_ now?"

"I'm not telling you that you're stinky, Sunny Boy. I'm referring to your perfume." the brunette tried not to burst out laughing at his reaction. "And don't give me that scornful look. There are animals that are very sensitive to scents, and sometimes it would give them some mixed signals. That's why Papa always reprimands his co-workers to avoid using scented bath soaps or apply perfumes when cleaning the cages. You never know what kind of distraction it may bring."

Adrien wasn't sure if the cat caught a whiff of Camembert to earn such animosity.

"Hmm, no words, Agreste?" she crossed her arms much to his horror. "Are you seriously doubting the daughter of a zookeeper?"

"No! Not like that, I'm - I'm... "

"Anyways!" Marinette blurted out when she sensed a brewing trouble. "Ca - ca -ca - can we just have our lunch in the park instead?"

Her friends complied.

They swore they heard Chat Blanc's displeased huff there.

Luckily, the park wasn't crowded that they were able to find an ideal spot to eat.

Adrien decided to stay on the bench as he mused at his friends' interaction with the newest member of the group.

"Come here, _kitty kitty_."

"Aren't you a good boy, _mon minou_?"

"I got some treats for you, _chaton_."

"Oh my freaking God, Mari! Look at Chat!"

They all laughed when the kitten waddled towards a group of pigeons, probably to make a friend when one of the birds got pawed accidentally that it pecked the poor feline's snout. He yowled, then ran with a bullet speed away to leap at his Master's lap for comfort.

"What a darling kitty." the pig-tailed girl soothed.

"It's okay, dude." Nino nudged the blond who was watching the interaction. "I know you're a cat-lover and all, but then again, love can be unrequited."

He was proven correct when the pigeon that Chat Blanc offended with flew towards him and triggered his allergy.

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"You know that feeling when you thought someone's calling you, only to found out that they were referring this other person, who happens to share your name?" Chat Noir muttered then glanced at his partner. "It's kind of...irritating, right?"

"I feel you." Ladybug nodded while staring at the skyline above the building's roof deck.

The superheroes were having a short break after covering half of their patrol routes.

"I've experienced a similar case before." the bug heroine began. "I was on my way home when someone yelled that I forgot my tablet. Of course, I immediately rushed towards this stranger and asked for it, then he was looking at me like I'm crazy. Then there's this other girl who came - "

"Who happens to share the same name as you!" the feline hero guffawed. "That's so awkward!"

She chortled at the memory. "I know, right? Not only your name can be victimized but also your nickname!"

"Tell me about it." he grimaced at the thought. "I have this classmate of mine who was using my monikers to call her pet."

He was taken aback when Ladybug suddenly rolled on her sides laughing like she would pop a rib.

"Hey, that's claw-ful, my Lady!" he pouted with crossed arms.

"Hahahahaha! What the heck, Chat! Oh, my...haha...I can't...I can't breathe..."

His pout deepens when she teared up.

"Don't tell me..." she wheezed out with watery eyes. "That you're imagining this classmate of yours calling you like her cat?"

His flustered mess betrayed him.

"I'm so hating you right meow!" the hero miffed when her raucous laughter doubled over.

It took her few minutes to regain her senses, much to his chagrin.

"Aww, my Kitty wants some love." the spotted heroine cooed. "Come over here, you mangy cat."

He sat beside her with a grumble as she scooted over for space then rested his head on her shoulder. He took a deep breath, savoring the moment of pure bliss.

Her red-gloved hands began to weave his golden strands. "You cats have this overbearing attitude - "

"You mean cat - titude, Buginette."

"Shut up, will you?" she chided at his smirk then continued. "Anyways, that kind of personality might be endearing, but sometimes it can be irritating."

"Oh, don't worry My Lady. I'll make sure I'm not at the receiving end."

"It's not you I'm referring to, but an actual cat."

He jostled, then sat ramrod straight. "Don't tell me you have a pet, LB?"

She nodded.

Wow. He just learned something new.

With an arm draped on his forehead and a hand clenched on his chest, he bemoaned. "How dare you cheat on me, My Lady! Two-timer! User! I call for a divorce!"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you'll throw a temper tantrum once I told you about him."

" _Him_?! That cheap lowlife scoundrel..."

Ladybug lightly kicked his shin.

"How could you do this to me, replacing me with someone else?" Chat Noir sniffed, then suddenly dropped his gaze like he just realized something. "Unless..."

His Cheshire grin only gave some churns on her stomach and the way he flashed his toothy grin daunted her that her mask failed to hide her pinkish bloom, and more when he winked.

"You took him as my substitute."

It irked her how smug her partner was, wiggling his brows like his ego got stoked.

"I know, Bugaboo. I know. You don't need to hide how smitten you are with my claw - someness."

Flexing his biceps was the last nail in the coffin.

Shaking her head indignantly, she rose up then sauntered towards his way.

"Let me tell you, _mon Minou_." she purred, flicking his bell with her index. "I don't see the reason for naming my pet Chat Noir if I already got him for myself."

The blush on his face could rival the redness of her Miraculous suit.

"Besides..." this time she batted her lashes then bit her lip. "You're irreplaceable."

She swore his knees buckled there, especially when she gave him a wink.

"Race you to the Eiffel, Kitty!"


	3. Potential rival

Marinette didn't know why Chat Blanc wasn't fond of Adrien.

She first thought it was the blond thing since he showed a similar animosity towards Chloe, though milder in a sense that her cat was dangerously growling at the mayor's daughter whenever he sees her. But when she found out that Rose could pet him just fine, she realized that it wasn't the case.

She also realized that Chat Blanc didn't like Adrien's face either.

There was a time wherein one of the model's posters fell off due to loose tacks, the feline immediately shredded it mercilessly with his sharp claws - and probably peed on it if she arrived late.

Not to mention his persistent scratches on the roll-up schedule, he would bump her desk's foot with an aim to crash Adrien's framed picture on the floor. So far he only broke two.

"Well, I guess we know how to potty train Chat Blanc." Tikki taunted. "By making an Adrien-themed litter box!"

Her charger looked at her like she just told her to kill herself.

Later on that day, Marinette realized that using a Chat Noir-themed litter box was effective as well.

(When she told her partner about it, he only gave two thumbs-up as a seal of approval. Weird Kitty.)

Which led her back to the initial assumption that Chat Blanc didn't like blonds.

"Well, Chat Noir is a cat. And cats hate to share affections."

"But Chat Noir is a human in a cat suit." the pig-tailed girl reasoned. "And Adrien is a human in perfection."

"Maybe Chat Blanc sensed them as his potential rival?"

She snorted indignantly. "Oh puh-lease. For Adrien, yes. But Chat Noir?"

The red kwami only pursed a grin.

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"Hey, LB?"

"Hmm?" the spotted heroine glanced at her partner after she unclasped her yo-yo. "What is it, _Chaton_?"

"Is it true that pets can sense their Master's emotion? Like, if their Master didn't like something or someone perhaps, they would react indifferently, right?"

"I believe so, yes. I mean, my pet hates cucumber as much as I hate them on my salad."

"I see." Chat Noir sighed with deflated faux ears.

"Are you alright, Kitty?" she asked. "You're not so energetic tonight."

Her partner shook his head, and even though he flashed her a smile, his emerald eyes weren't.

"I'm fine, My Lady," he answered, unable to hide his crestfallen expression. "It's just...it's something related to my civilian life. Nothing to worry about."

As much as Ladybug hate not knowing it, but they have rules to uphold. "If you say so, Kitty."

"Why don't we split our way - you on the right while I'll handle the left?"

"Sounds good to me."

Before she could cast her yo-yo and jump to the next building, she swore she heard him muttered ' _She still hates me_.'

Their patrol ended without him telling her what was it all about.

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"Hi, Marinette."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the pig-tailed girl shrieked and about to grab the hand on her shoulder when she realized a familiar face. "A - A - A - A - Adrien?!"

He winced at her reaction. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I - I - I - It's okay! No worries!" she squeaked, flailing her arms in the air. "Ju - ju - ju - ju - jumpy I am! I mean, I am jumpy! Jumpy 'coz I'm clumsy! Clumsy and jumpy!"

If she didn't avert her eyes out of nervousness, she might've seen the dismay on his green orbs.

"I see." he chuckled then rubbed his nape. "I was wondering if...if..."

Several thoughts entered her mind. _Is he going to ask me for a date? Or maybe he doesn't want to befriend me anymore? Or probably something related to class? Oh my God, do we have an assignment?! Wait, he's not a type of person who misses something like that. Oh shit, what if we really have an assignment and he wants to ask if I have one? But I don't remember if we have an assignment today! My God, what if we have a test?! What if he's going to ask me -_

"Marinette?"

"Yes!" she yelped as she straightened her back.

"I was asking about Chat Blanc. Is he available today?"

Her shoulders obscurely dropped.

 _Of course, it's not about me._

"Of course!" she chirped with a cracked smile. "Want to grab a lunch with me today?

"I'd love to."

If she didn't cast her eyes to the ground, she might've seen the happiness that marred on his face.

That wasn't the last time Adrien approached her for lunch.

He asked her similarly the next day, and the day that followed until it became a routine for them to hang out together with Chat Blanc.

At first, he would bring a mouse toy, then a ball of yarn the next day. Several cat toys were being brought to lure Chat Blanc's out from his personal space, but all the efforts were futile.

Even a large pouch of catnip.

But Adrien was an optimistic guy, and it was something that Marinette couldn't help but admired.

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"I think one of my friends is a bit obsessed with my cat."

Ladybug didn't know whether to laugh or feel offended the way Chat Noir jaw slacked comically with saucer-like eyes in slits.

"Of course it's not you, silly." she scoffed. "I'm referring to my civilian's self-cat. Don't worry, you're still my biggest dark secret."

Her partner flashed his toothy grin. "Oh, so your friend likes this second Copycat?"

The heroine frowned. She corrected him numerous times about his monikers towards her pet, but at the same time, she couldn't tell him that she named her cat Chat Blanc because, _reasons_.

"I don't know what's wrong with him – my cat, I mean. And my friend was doing everything to win his favor. Like today, I caught him reading piles of books about cats in the library. Then another friend of ours told me that he had binge-watching several cat videos online even before I got a pet."

"Maybe he's just a cat-lover?" he offered.

"To the point that he starts talking with cat puns?"

She was tempted to haul her yo-yo and threw it straight in his face.

"Be careful with that friend of yours, My Lady," he smirked devilishly. "He might be a potential rival to win your cat's affection."

It peeved her more when his Cheshire grin grew.

"You never know, we could be best of friends!"

That night she began to ponder about Adrien's possible reaction if he learned that she was Ladybug and that she has another Chat.

 _Maybe Adrien and Chat Noir will be ended up together._

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It was a typical sight in Francoise Dupont's entrance gate to witness a depressing moment between a certain white feline and a famous model every after school.

"Poor sunshine child. He's been so patient with him all this time." Alya commented as they watched how Chat Blanc gave an annoying hiss when Adrien approached his post again. "And I can tell that he's at his wit's end."

"Chat has never been like that to anyone." Marinette sighed when the blond offered her pet a cube of Camembert.

"Maybe Chat's a possessive type?"

The pig-tailed girl elbowed her best friend. Hard.

"This is not the first time my bro got shunned by someone upon meeting him for the first time," Nino muttered when the cat pawed the cheese. " _Like Master, like Pet,_ I guess?"

"I am holding a bottle of orange juice here, Nino. Don't make me waste this drink by pouring it to your head, and I'm going to make sure your precious cap will not be spared."

The DJ took a few steps away from the girl.

The brunette snorted while the two winced when Chat Blanc flung the Camembert unceremoniously to the ground, much to the blond's horror.

"Who in the right's mind will feed a cat with a cheese?" Alya shook her head casually. "Okay, let's go to that pitiful being and - "

Everyone was taken aback when Adrien suddenly erupted with a scream. " _YOUR CAT-TITUDE IS SO CLAW-FUL IT'S NOT A-MEW-SING ANY-MEOW_!"

While Marinette sputtered and choked her drink, their two bespectacled friends guffawed.

And to add a salt to the injury, the cat responded by lifting his leg to lick his balls.

"That's it. Chat Blanc doesn't hate my bro." Nino bit his fist to contain his laughs. "Chat Blanc loathes my bro."


	4. Loyal knight

Ever since Chat Blanc was introduced to Marinette's life, the feline brought her nothing but changes.

In a good way, mostly.

While his Master was infamous for her tardiness since Day One, the cat somewhat committed himself to rouse her up on time regardless if she underwent strenuous Akuma battles or pulled an all-nighter project, much to Tikki's amusement.

May it be clawing her bedpost, pawing her duvet out, or climbing the walls then drop his butt directly to her drooling face, Chat Blanc would do everything to wake his Master out of her wits.

Even if the said Master only slept for less than an hour.

"It's amazing how you survived not being late for almost a month now, Marinette." the kwami cheered her enervated charger then flew towards the feline with a nose poke. "Thanks to you, buddy."

Chat Blanc mewled with delight.

"Shut up, Tikki." the pigtailed girl scowled, eyeing her pet that was swishing his tail happily for the job well done. "It's a good thing you're a cute kitty."

Said kitty purred when his Master knelt down to scratch his head with a sigh. Even with that rude awakening, he knew she couldn't stay mad at him.

Though Marinette swore he was doing it because he was hungry.

Another change for her was having a feline bodyguard whenever she leaves for school, one that would ward off any unfriendly bypassers and her childhood crush away.

"Chat is way stricter than your Maman's grandmother!" Tom chortled then told his daughter how the old lady barricaded Sabine's love life that almost led to an elopement.

In all honesty, her cat was way overprotective than her own parents.

But then, so was the Master to her pet.

The first time Chat Blanc was found by a school faculty, Marinette almost died with an aneurysm she had to go home immediately to lock the cat in her room throughout the day.

Unfortunately, Chat Blanc was slick enough to escape and find his way back to the campus' gates again.

She recruited her parent's aid once by asking them to cage him after she left for school, but the cat began to cry incessantly, scratching the wall post until someone would pity and release him from his confinement.

And per usual, he would rush towards the school gate again and wait for his Master's appearance.

"Chat wasn't hostile to anyone - well, except with Adrien I guess, but you get my point." Alya bemused at her dilemma. "Besides, he never steps his paws beyond the campus grounds or made any property damages for you to be summoned to Mr. Damocles' office."

A suspension was actually the least among her concerns.

"Your house is practically few meters away from our school, and all of the students here are quite familiar with your cat." her best friend went on. "Chat never cross the streets alone, so no need to worry about his safety."

"Chat can also defend himself from catnappers," Nino assured her. "And he's fierce. Look at how he treated my bro."

Said bro growled and punched his shoulder, earning him a loud yelp.

"I think your pet means no harm, Marinette." Adrien smiled then glanced at the grumpy feline. "He's just doing his job like a loyal Knight to his Lady."

She was inclined to agree.

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.

"I think your cat is an asshole."

Ladybug gave her partner a dead stare. "Look who's talking."

"Excuse me, My Lady." Chat Noir gasped, slightly offended. "This cat doesn't jump on you with butt first. Unless it's your kink."

She whacked his head with her yo-yo.

"Seriously, Buginette. You need to train my _copychat_ more and show him who the boss is. One day you'll be surprised that your pillows are all eaten by that monster." he chuckled while rubbing the sore spot. "Though to be honest, I find it sweet that he accompanies you wherever you go. Such a loyal Knight to my Lady."

She was about to agree until he added:

"If only you tell me your civilian identity, I might even do the same thing!"

.

.

.

.

Marinette realized that Chat Blanc was quite attached with Tikki, in which she finds it favorable since she could man the cashier and do pipings in the bakery without any problems.

She, later on, realized that the reason behind the _cat_ -itude (Chat Noir rubbed her off, dammit) was because of free food.

Her kwami might be a messy eater and considerate enough to eat on easy clean surfaces like plates and silicone-reinforced pouches, but sometimes she wasn't mindful of her clutters.

And cats love food clutters.

"You living vacuum cleaner. No wonder you're a glutton." the designer admonished while squeezing her cat's pudgy stomach, much to his enjoyment.

"And you." she glanced at her abashed guardian. "Don't feed him with your snacks. He's not allowed to eat those."

She was able to empathize the guilt that Tikki felt as she flew towards her compartment and nibbled a cookie. After all, Cats were considered to be Lady Luck's counterparts and at the same time, their ideal exploiter.

"Marinette?" Sabine called her. "Honey, can you deliver this cake to Mme. Laduc? She's expecting this to arrive in an hour."

"Coming, Maman!" the girl replied then eyed the two creatures. "Let's go guys. We have an errand to do."

The two followed suit - Tikki slipped inside the bag while Chat Blanc trailed behind - in silence.

The client's house was only a few blocks away from the bakery, and since the old lady was antisocial, Marinette was able to complete the task on time.

She even got a spare to ogle at some photo shoots in –

Someone caught her attention.

Across the street was a little boy playing with his ball that bounced and rolled in the middle of the road. There were no adults around to watch the toddler, and the bypassers were too preoccupied to notice an oncoming truck.

"WATCH OUT!" she yelled, but the boy failed to react immediately on the loud honk of the driver.

He was simply dazed and frozen on the spot.

Everyone panicked and screamed out of fear as they waited for the event to unfold...until she moved.

The Ladybug in her suddenly kicked in.

Marinette ran towards the child with an athletic speed then shoved him hastily to a safer place.

That was her grave mistake.

Because even thought Marinette was secretly the girl beneath the spots, she didn't have the Miraculous gear to protect herself from the impact.

The rush of saving a life made her forgot to summon her transformation.

But then, she was fighting for seconds.

I'm sorry, Tikki. was her last thoughts.

Before she could register the white blur that hit on her face, her body flew off to the opposite pavement.

The impact almost stole her breath when she rolled and slammed her back against the concrete walls, but the excruciating pains that shoot through her joints were not enough to render her unconscious.

In fact, her eyes were fully open to witness how the truck collided with a road pipe that spurted a water fountain...

...and how Chat Blanc used his momentum to push his Master away from danger and met his demise.


	5. Nine lives

Marinette was seeing _red_.

Her head was throbbing, probably a mild concussion when she got side-swiped by the truck, with a ringing sensation in her left ear. She didn't feel any dislocations or fractures, but her right arm and left leg were quite tender to move.

There was a rustle on her bag, which means that Tikki was safe.

However...

"Chat?"

On the side of the road was her white feline, her savior, sprawling on the ground. She called his name several times yet he remained unresponsive and silent...and _lifeless_.

"CHAT!"

It was the adrenaline that pushed her body to get up and limp towards her injured cat. There were lots of people everywhere, most were onlookers who grew curious about the accident yet none of them cared about the hero that saved her life.

"CHAT BLANC!"

Someone called her name, but she never dared to look back for a reply. When a hand suddenly fell on her shoulder, she immediately shrugged it away.

"Let me go!" she yelled at the medic who was trying to address her wounds. "Chat - Chat Blanc...he's..."

"But Miss, you're -"

The girl was able to free herself from his restraints then rushed towards her pet.

"Chat!"

Fat tears welled in her eyes as she knelt down and inspected his broken limbs. She could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest, but his green eyes remained shut.

"Oh, kitty." she sobbed at his badly-shaped body, then looked around for possible reinforcements. "Stay with me, okay? Don't give up."

Everyone was busy attending the traumatized toddler who didn't have a single scratch, and to the reckless driver who got stowed away by a stretcher. The truck that damaged the pipeline caused not only floodings but also a heavy traffic around the area.

Nobody dared to assist Marinette and her cat.

When all of a sudden, a white shirt fell on top of Chat Blanc.

She caught a glimpse of a silver ring when a hand wrapped the feline's body and cradled it carefully in the arms. She looked up and stared at a familiar green eye.

"Let's go and save Chat Blanc!" Adrien declared.

Marinette's body went to auto-pilot.

She barely recalled how she climbed inside the limousine while clutching her dying cat. She remembered how Adrien commanded his driver to the nearest pet clinic in an unusual authoritative tone, but she made no comment.

She didn't take a heed on how his hand reached out to touch her face, only to stop himself then tucked it in his lap with clenched fists.

Thankfully, it wasn't a long drive.

The vehicle wasn't on full stop yet when Marinette yanked the door open and ran towards the clinic.

"Help!" she bellowed at the attendant. "Please save my cat!"

The personnel was taken aback by the pig-tailed girl's ragged condition, but she couldn't deny her frantic pleas for her animal's well-being.

"Please save Chat Blanc!" she sobbed.

Without further ado, the attendant accepted the bundled feline then brought it inside the operating room.

"Please be okay, Chat," Marinette whispered then covered her mouth with shivering hands. "Hang in there, kitty."

Adrien caught her on time when her knees wobbled and about to collapse on the floor.

"Marinette, we need to tend your injuries."

She nodded dumbly, letting herself be led by her crush to the visitor's area and made her sit on a bench.

She was too exhausted to give any reactions when the blond removed the dirt and blood smears gently on her face with a wet cloth.

"You're lucky it's just a small wound," he commented after he tilted her head and opened a clear box for antiseptics.

He either borrowed the first-aid kit from the clinic staff or got it from his bodyguard, Marinette got no clue.

The silence was suffocating her.

"Chat Blanc didn't deserve this. Any of this." she sniffed while staring blankly at the operating room. "I'm the one who was supposed to receive the impact and ended up in a hospital, not him. I deserved to be in his place...suffering and dying...not, not him. Not my cat."

" _Marinette_." the way he slammed the medicine lid jerked her from her stupor. "Don't you ever dare say that!"

His emerald orbs met her sapphire ones, and there she saw the mixture of his fury and fear on his hardened stares.

Realization finally dawned on her that Adrien, her sweet classmate Adrien, was there all along.

"You saw everything." she uttered with disbelief.

His jaw tightened as he nodded. "I was there the whole time, Marinette. I was there when the kid crossed the street. I was there when the truck lost its brakes. I was there when you pushed the kid to the safe place. I was there when...when..."

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut with balled fists on his side. He lowered his head as if trying to compose himself not to let his emotions run wild.

"You almost died before me." his voice hitched. "And all I could do was to stare and wait for the outcome while feeling helpless. You almost died, Marinette."

She felt guilty.

"I'm sorry."

When she met his watery gaze, her dam finally broke.

Marinette never realized she almost died that day.

"I'm sorry." she shuddered while covering her face out of shame. "I'm sorry, Adrien. It was stupid for my part to run on an oncoming vehicle, and for you to witness - "

"Hey, hey. Shh, It's alright, Marinette. It's alright." he cooed while wrapping her arms around her body. "The most important thing is that you're safe. And it's not stupid - you saved someone's life today."

"I saved someone's life," she muttered bitterly. "In exchange for another."

He pulled her out from the embrace then prodded her palms to cup her cheeks. Then he used his thumbs to wipe her tears.

"Hey, look at me. Look at me, Marinette."

She averted her gaze because she didn't want to be reminded of her cat's green eyes again, but when she met him this time, she didn't expect to see her other cat.

Adrien happens to share the same eye color as Chat Noir's.

"Okay, repeat after me - Chat Blanc is alive."

Oh, how she wished his words were true.

"Say it with me, Marinette. Chat Blanc is alive."

"Chat Blanc is alive." she parroted.

"Because cats have nine lives."

The girl frowned then wrinkled her nose. "No way you can convince me with that superstition, Adrien. You can ask Biology."

The blond made an indignant pout.

"You're supposed to repeat after me, not to talk back." he huffed. "Okay, let's do it again. Chat Blanc is alive."

She pursed a grin. "Chat Blanc is alive."

"Because cats have nine lives."

"Nope."

When he feigned a hurtful expression, she couldn't stop herself from giggling.

"There's the Marinette I know." he beamed.

Adrien, the legendary sunshine child, bestowed her his infamous rays of smiles enough to melt her into a puddle of goo.

What a blissful kind of torture to her weary heart.

"I'm sorry for putting you up with me." she sobered then looked down with a profused blush. "A - and I know that you're bu - busy. And _Ohmygosh your photoshoot_!"

The blond chuckled, pushing his classmate back to her seat when she suddenly stood up. "It's fine, Marinette. We've finished the shoot and about to wrap some things that time. Actually, I was waiting for Gori - I mean, my bodyguard to pick me up."

"I see." she slumped her back then sighed with relief. "Still, I'm sorry."

"You know, I'd rather hear you say ' _Thank You_ ' instead of ' _I'm Sorry_ '"

The way he bit his knuckle to suppress his laugh and with his playful green stares he really reminded her of a certain Kitty Cat.

"Thank you."

 _Damn you Chat Noir, wherever you are._

He flashed her a lopsided grin. "Okay. Now that I'm done with your head wound, do you have anything that's bothering you? Like a sprain or abrasion?"

She shook her head.

Adrien didn't buy it.

When he grasped her right arm, she flinched automatically.

"My, my, Marinette. And here I thought you hate liars." he admonished lightly. "Now be a good girl and remove that blazer for me so I can check your arm."

If he was Chat Noir, she could've said ' _Make me_.' Instead, she simply obeyed him in silence.

And that was how they saw the blooming purple and red bruises just below her shoulder blade.

It was an ugly sight to behold.

Adrien immediately left her alone, but before she could think about him feeling disgusted, he came back with a handful of gel patches.

"I was about to ask for ice but the clinic has these cold compressors, so they let me borrow it," he explained while wrapping one of the patches around her arm with care.

"You're so good with this," she noted how he secured the patch with a tie.

The blond shrugged his shoulders. "If you have these...strenuous activities, you'll need to know the basic first aid in addressing cuts and bruises."

She raised her arm to admire his neat work.

"Anything else, Marinette?" he asked then narrowed his gaze when she didn't answer immediately.

It irked her how he pulled out her Kitty's beady glares whenever he inquired about her injuries after an Akuma attack.

"Erm," she muttered sheepishly then raised her left leg slowly. "I may or may have hit something hard on my knee?"

He smirked.

"Based on how you limped a while ago, I thought you'll never admit that."

She frowned.

She never thought Adrien Agreste could be this cocky.

She let him rolled her pink jeans up to dab a cold cream on her knee. "You're just as stubborn as someone I know."

"Who, Nino?"

Before he could answer, the clinic's door swung open, revealing a disheveled Sabine and a petrified Tom.

" _Maman_?!" Marinette squeaked. " _Papa_? What are you - "

She was cut short when her mother crushed her in a hug, followed by her father.

"Oh, my baby! My baby! I'm so glad you're okay!" the petite Chinese sobbed then examined her daughter's features. "Alya called us about you, what happened to you, and where to find you!"

"Alya?! But Alya's not with - "

" _MARINETTE_!"

As if on cue, her brunette best friend leaped towards her and gave a similar hug. Behind her was her boyfriend Nino.

"Oh my God, you have no idea how I almost choked the taxi driver and blackmailed him to beat the traffic lights just for me to arrive here!" she cried. "If Nino forgot his phone again - "

"I didn't!" the DJ defended, planting a kiss on top of the pig-tailed girl's crown.

"- I swear I'm going to drown him in the depths of Seine!"

Marinette didn't ask Nino on how in the world he knew about the accident. Instead, she glanced at the flustered model who was rubbing his neck.

"Uhm, I don't have Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng's number, so I texted Nino, who I know was with Alya so that she can pass the message to your parents. That's why they're here," he explained shyly.

He was making it hard for her not to fall in love with him all over again.

Tom walked towards the boy then gave him his infamous bear hug.

"Thank you, son." the baker whispered. "Thank you for saving our daughter."

"I - I - I - It's alright, Sir - _ACK_! - I mean, Tom! _Tom_! I - I'm just doing my duty as her friend!" he flailed his arms in the air. "And Marinette's a real hero! She - she saved the kid!"

Marinette flinched upon meeting her parents and her two bespectacled friends' glares. She knew she'd be receiving 20% praises and 80% incessant lectures from them later.

The atmosphere shifted momentarily when Dr. Moshe left the operating room.

"Marinette?" the veterinarian pulled his face mask which revealed his toothy smile. "Seems like Chat Blanc used one of his nine lives."


	6. Truce

After Chat Blanc's successful operation, Marinette was ganged up and rushed to the nearest hospital. She refused and begged to stay with her cat until he wakes up, even tried to convince them that she was okay.

No one believed her.

Not even Adrien.

"If not for the fear of receiving a punch like what you've threatened to the medic back there, I might've brought you to the ER first." the model explained. "We all love Chat Blanc as much as you do, but your health is our first priority."

So the girl was left with no choice but to accept her fate and let herself be placed under 24-hour observation.

Fortunately, all of her test results were negative.

She went back to the animal clinic the next day together with her parents, and when she saw the feline's condition, she couldn't help but cry.

Two of Chat Blanc's legs were fractured, same with his rib cage, but his internal organs were completely safe. Since the blood clot in his head was minor, the only procedure that Dr. Moshe performed was bone grafting.

"It's a miracle he survived." the veterinarian told them while caressing the sedated cat's body. "Chat Blanc is not only a hero but also a real fighter."

Marinette couldn't help but agree.

When she asked for the bill, she was surprised that everything was fully paid by someone named Mme. Violette.

It was later found out that Mme. Violette was the mother of the child she rescued from the accident.

"You have no idea how thankful I am when you saved my Leonard, Miss Dupain-Cheng." the mother said when she visited the bakery.

She was around mid-thirties, with curly blond locks that were tucked inside the bolero, and a Gabriel corporate dress that screams power.

"I was inside the boutique for less than three minutes, and too preoccupied to notice that my son went out." Mme. Violette sniffled as she relayed her story. "The event made a great impact on our family. Not only my husband accused me of negligence, Leonard developed a phobia towards running vehicles. He can't cross the street without making a tantrum, and he has this night terrors about the accident. He's also timid to play with his friends now."

"I understand your frustrations as a mother." Sabine reached her hand then gave it a tight squeeze. "Like you, we almost lost our only child. But the most important thing is that they're alive and well. I know it's difficult, but we must learn to move on from the past in order to face the present."

"Our home is always open if you need some help," Tom added.

The woman looked at the parents, and then to their daughter as she wept. "I don't know how to express my utmost gratitude, especially to you Miss...Marinette, right?"

"It's the thought that counts, Mme. Violette." the pig-tailed girl smiled. "You paying for my cat's medical expenses is more than enough."

"Oh Marinette, no amount can compensate your bravery. You saved my son's life!"

She shook her head. "If not for Chat Blanc, I might not be here talking with you right now."

Before their visitor left, Marinette went upstairs to check her cat and his newfound friend.

She poked her head from the door and called "Leonard?"

Her heart melted at the sight of a young boy petting her bedridden cat with his gentle hands.

Leonard was almost the same age and height as Manon, only with a ginger hair and lighter skin tone.

"Your Maman is about to leave," she informed him.

The boy stood up promptly and approached her with a smile. He was still clutching a plastic bag full of cat foods.

"For Kitty Blanc!" he chirped, shoving the items into her hands.

Marinette accepted the bag with gratitude then knelt down to ruffle his tousled hair.

She was taken aback when he suddenly embraced her tightly and whispered: "Thank you, Miss Hero."

She laughed at the irony.

Returning a similar gesture, she asked: "Did you also thanked Kitty Blanc?"

"Uh - hum!"

"Then, you're welcome."

Marinette waved her goodbyes to the mother and child from the second-floor window as they left the premise.

Chat Blanc kept purring after she finished stocking the canned foods in the compartment. She learned that cats do that sometimes to heal themselves, so hearing his purrs appeased her mind.

Then the doorbell rang.

Opening the door, she was immediately greeted by her three friends.

"How are you doing, Girl?" the brunette asked as she placed a paper bag of fresh bread on the counter.

"Still under recuperation and house arrest," she answered nonchalantly. "My bruises are almost healed now, and I can carry some heavy objects just fine."

"It's not our fault why you were banned to go outside, dude." the DJ grinned then walked towards Chat Blanc. "What's up, buddy? And why do you have a cone in your head?"

"To prevent him from licking his wounds and cause another infection."

Adrien mused at the appearance. "Cat cone-trol himself, huh?"

The two groaned in unison.

"That's horrible, dude." his best friend scowled. "It should be illegal."

"But it's - "

"One more pun, Sunny Boy. One more pun and you're out with croissants."

The model's mouth quivered but decided not to drive Alya further or his well-being would be at stake. It wasn't a question how dangerous the Ladyblogger could be.

Clearing his throat, Adrien shifted his attention to their host instead.

"How's your day, Marinette?" he asked.

After a few stammers and mixed-up phrases, the girl was able to tell them about Mme. Violette and Leonard.

The quartet was sitting on the floor as they discussed school. Since Marinette was forced to have a medical absence for few days, her friends took some lecture notes down on her behalf. They also have her assignment papers to be submitted once she returned to class.

They were so busy eating and bantering jokes to notice how Chat Blanc struggled to get up and waddle towards them.

Silence overpowered the room as they froze and eyed when the white cat managed to walk on all fours.

They didn't expect that he would climb and nestle on Adrien's lap.

" _Dude_ ," Nino whispered loudly, pointing at the feline. " _He's - he's finally befriending you_!"

" _I know_!" the model gasped excitedly with the same hushed tone.

" _Don't move, Adrien! Let me take a picture_!" Alya hissed. " _To commemorate your friendship_!"

Marinette saw how his green eyes shimmered when her cat brushed his tail on his leg. He even smiled proudly as their friends snapped a picture.

A minute later, Chat Blanc stood up then wobbled back to his bed.

Heartbroken and confused, Adrien tried to reach him but the cat raised his tail straight then looked at the blond with a threatening growl.

So he retracted his hand dejectedly.

"Aww, it's like your one-time truce." Nino sighed as they observed how the feline returned to his bed casually to sleep. "Maybe that's his thank-you gesture for saving his Master?"

"It's okay, sunshine." Alya patted his back. "I'll send you the pictures."

"Okay." was his glum reply.

Marinette received the same forwarded pictures from the brunette with an attached note ' _Isn't he adorably cute?_ '

Her favorite was Adrien in his uncanny smiles with a relaxed cat between his legs. Both emerald irises were looking blissfully on the camera, and that moment she realized that she has a thing for green-eyed beings.

 _If only Chat Noir was included in the picture_...

Shaking her head, she saved the image and used it as her phone's wallpaper.

It was dusk when her friends decided to go home.

While Adrien has a curfew at seven, Alya was expected to babysit her siblings and Nino got a last-minute errand to buy condiments for dinner. They really have no choice but to reject their golden opportunity to taste Dupain-Cheng's Eurasian cuisine.

"Next time then," Marinette assured them as they bid goodbyes.

Once her friends left, she climbed into her room to deposit her homework. She was planning to deal with it after dinner but decided to skim the contents for her to know which subject she should prioritize first.

"Oh no."

"What is it?" Tikki asked and observed how her charger rummaged the binds.

"I - I can't find pages six and seven of my Trigonometry assignment," she replied, dumping all the papers on her desk. "I've got Physics, History, English...okay, I finally found the page six, but page seven is still missing!"

"Maybe it got mixed up?"

"I thought that at first, but I...I'ts not. Urgh!" she bewailed. "There's no page seven on my Trigo!"

"Is page seven that important?"

Marinette wasn't sure if her kwami knows mathematical concepts. "You see, there's an illustrated graph here on the last part of page six, and I will never know its purpose without the explanation - which I believe is located on page seven. Also, there are multiple choices on page eight that don't make any sense."

"Oh. So a single sheet can make your entire assignment go wrong?"

Her charger nodded profusely while slumping on her chair.

"Why don't you text Alya, maybe she wasn't aware she has it?" the red kwami suggested.

"It's okay if it's Alya." the girl groaned. "But it's Adrien. He's the one who collected these notes."

Tikki gave a low whistle. "Such a sweet boy."

"I know right?" her charger sighed dreamily for a moment before she snapped. "Oh my God, does Adrien has my number?"

"I don't see that as a problem Marinette, given that you still have Adrien's number. You can just text him on the missing page."

"That's the problem, Tiki!" she blurted out. "Adrien doesn't know I have his number!"

The kwami remained her stony gaze on her bluebell hues.

"What if I texted him then he'll me how I got his number?" the girl went on while gesticulating. "What if he doesn't have the missing page? What if there's no page seven on my Trigonometry assignment in the first place? What if he'll be offended, that despite his efforts I'm still ungrateful with a gall to question his kindness? What if he'll find my queries insulting? What if he'll realize I'm not a good friend for him? What if - "

"You're overreacting again." Tikki chuckled as she flew near her face. "Adrien is your friend. A simple question won't hurt."

Marinette gripped her phone like it was a time bomb. Before she could compose her message, Sabine called her downstairs for dinner.

"This can wait." she murmured, leaving the phone on top of her table then went to the dining area.

After cleaning the tables and fed Chat Blanc, she headed back to her room and found the missing seventh page of her Trigonometry assignment pressed underneath her phone.

"So it's here all along?!" she was shocked beyond belief. "And I've been searching for this enough to overturn the entire room!"

"Maybe you misplaced it?" Tikki hummed playfully.

"Maybe...but I'm sure this was not here before we went downstairs. I've checked everything on my desk thoroughly."

"How could that be?" the kwami smirked. "Maybe Chat found it and delivered it to you?"

The girl snorted indignantly then walked towards the white cat that was purring incessantly on her chaise. His purrs increased its volume when she began to scratch his chin.

"If that's the case, then this Chat deserves a kitty treat." she chuckled then looked at her unbolted window. "Hey, Tikki?"

"Hmm?" the kwami turned her head on her chosen while munching a cookie.

"Let's go and visit my other Chat."

.

.

.

.

Ladybug found her partner sitting on one of Notre Dame's flying buttresses with a Cheshire grin.

"A penny for your thoughts, Kitty?" the heroine landed then sat beside him after securing her yo-yo.

Chat Noir shook his head. "Ah, nothing LB. I just recalled something a-meow-sing that occurred to my civilian's self today."

"Oh?"

That was new.

Normally her partner was lethargic whenever he mentioned his unmasked side.

"Mind to share a humor?" the heroine asked.

"Uh, remember that classmate of mine I mentioned before? The one that calls her cat as Chat?"

She nodded.

"You see, her cat was holding grudges on me since Day One, just like his..." he trailed off. "Okay, nevermind. Anyways. To make the story short, the said grumpy cat allowed me to pet him today!"

"Wow. Congratulations." Ladybug deadpanned on his giddiness. "And here I thought you're a clowder's favorite."

"I a-paw-logize fur not meow-ting your ex-paw-ctations, Buginette." the black-clad hero sighed dramatically. "Your trust nya-fur failed to sur-purr-ise me."

She crossed her arms in a huff. "Thanks for ruining my night, Chat."

"So claw-ful, my Lady." he pouted, which earned him another eye roll. "Here's a serious question - how are you faring with your family member?"

She told him that one of her family members was hurt and needed medical attention, and as the caretaker, she had to skip some night patrols.

Chat Blanc was considered to be part of her family, so technically she didn't lie to her partner.

She omitted the information about her injuries or else she would never hear the end of it.

"He's getting better."

The relief was evident on his face. "That's good to know."

Before they spread out to cover their assigned patrol routes, Ladybug caught a glimpse of her partner staring blankly at Gottlib Street.

Specifically, at Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.


	7. Schrödinger's chat

Marinette was used to deal with strange things.

Ever since she became Ladybug, she started not to question her environment anymore and began to accept that walking statues, living mummies, morphing dinosaurs, miniature gods and two-faced butterflies were part of Parisian's everyday life.

Her phlegmatic reaction was a result of being caught frequently in a crossfire between Good and Evil way beyond a normal citizen had experienced before. She never bats an eye in the face of danger. Hell, she would even snort in the face of danger.

She was too immune to the mysteries of the world, and the fact that she has an alter-ego of a badass insect with a giant kitten as a partner didn't help her sense of reality.

So waking up in a loft bed that morning wasn't that alarming.

"Did I sleepwalk again, Tikki?" the girl yawned groggily then looked at the bright windows.

Her mind was hazy last night due to her medications, but she swore she conked on her desk flatly while answering her Physics assignment. She could even feel the indents of the book binds on her cheek.

"Hmmmmm." the red god landed on her side as she nibbled a cookie. "Maybe Chat carried you to your bed?"

Marinette laughed.

It was a running gag between the Chosen and her kwami to use Chat as the reason behind every unexplained scenario.

Not Chat as in _Chat_ Blanc, but Chat as in Schrödinger's _chat_.

That mysterious cat that everybody wondered if alive or dead unless someone opened the box. On Marinette's case, she stopped cracking the answer to every mystery that was occurring around her and just left it as it should be.

It all started when she discovered one of her smashed flower pot while she was away with Alya, only to find a new pot on her balcony the next day.

She knew it wasn't her parents, and it'd be hilarious if a thief sent it as an apology after he kicked it by accident while doing his escape.

"Maybe Chat did it?" Tikki told her, but she just scoffed at the idea.

No way her superhero partner would land on her balcony, of all places, and break her pot. Or random strays then took somebody else's pot as a replacement.

She didn't have a pet that time, so clearly Chat Blanc was out of the picture.

"Whoever did this." the girl mused "They forgot to add a ' _Sorry_ ' note."

The mystery didn't occur again after Evillustrator.

She was a bit frazzled after battling with the Akuma who wants nothing but to date her on his birthday. She even forgot that Chat Noir left her in the banks of Seine after he fled and chase the Akuma.

Her tiredness won over, so she ended up going home and slept on her balcony.

That was her first case of sleepwalking.

"Maybe Chat tucked you into bed?" Tikki reasoned.

She remembered looking at the night sky before closing her lids. She even rolled around and sniffled when the midnight wind wafted her back, yet too tired to crawl inside.

"Chat doesn't know Marinette," she answered. "He's not a type that would check on a random civilian."

"If you say so." the kwami shrugged her shoulders then flew away.

The topic was still dropped even after it happened several times. She may be in her chaise or outside the reclining seat, Marinette would always end up waking in her bed covered with blankets.

It was a random occurrence though. There were cases she suffered backpains after sleeping in her chair or stiff necks because of pillow placements. Thankfully, she didn't exhibit such condition during sleepovers or wake up in an unfamiliar place.

At least she didn't fall downstairs while locating her loft bed.

Marinette couldn't tell if the disorder was due to stress or an innate ability she developed subconsciously, but whenever she asked Tikki about it, her kwami would always say ' _it's a Chat's thing_ '.

She didn't believe her.

When Chat Blanc came along, she thought it was some sort of a joke.

Looking at her mewling cat, the girl snickered. "As if Chat can carry me while wearing his cone."

The white feline flicked his tail to show his displeasure.

"If you say so." Tikki shook her head then went back to her cookie jar.

Marinette began to think about her parents and a possibility that they might have entered her room. But her trap door was locked all the time, and even though they have keys to open it, they were not a type that would be in denial when their daughter asked them about it.

She never told anyone about her sleepwalk tendencies yet, not even Alya. She wanted to figure it out by herself first before she breaks the news.

"Uhm, Tikki?"

The kwami hovered at her charger's shoulder while peeking at the papers piled on her desk. "Yes?"

"Did I..." the girl gulped, looking at her assignment with disbelief. "Did I solve these formulas while sleeping?"

And as usual, the kwami answered. "Maybe Chat did it."

Tikki's cryptic words gnawed her mind as she went to school. Her kwami might be ridiculous, but she wasn't a type that would say a lie.

"Whoa!" a pair of hands braced her shoulders when she almost collided with a post. "Look where you're going, Marinette."

"A - A - A - Adrien?!" she squeaked when she saw a familiar blond.

He let her go. "Good morning, Marinette. You seem to be preoccupied. Did you sleep well?"

She did, much to her surprise. And it was a dreamless sleep.

Her silence somehow worried him. "Are you sure you're okay now? Maybe you still need rest or - "

"I - I - I'm okay now!" she cut him with a blush. "I can go to school just fine!"

Adrien observed her state for a moment before responding "If you say so."

When he asked her about their Physics assignment, she didn't know what to say.

"I - I managed to finish mine. No problem."

A slight hurt flashed in his eyes but vanished immediately. Then he smiled.

"I see."

Marinette was afraid to ask if she did something to warrant his disappointment.

.

.

.

.

Ladybug broke a question during their patrol break. "Does your civilian's self exhibit some cat-like tendencies?"

"As far as I can tell, I don't purr outside my mask." Chat Noir answered while scratching his chin. "I'm not hydrophobic when taking showers, and I don't scratch on my walls. Why you ask?"

"Nothing." she shook her head with a smile. "Just wondering."

The feline hero went closer. "Why, Buginette. Are you purr-haps hibernating during winter?"

"Of course not." she crossed her arms with a huff. "And I can attest that during Santa Claws fiasco."

She noticed his flinch but never made any comments about it.

"You haven't told me why you used your Cataclysm in a post back then."

"I am a cat with secrets, my Lady." he reclined his back then winked. "You haven't told me your secret mission during Evillustrator either."

Perhaps two can play a game.

"Hey, Kitty?"

"Yes, my Lady?"

"Are you acquainted with a civilian named Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

The heroine wasn't sure whether to pity her partner or to laugh at his demise when he tripped himself with his tail.

"No?" he immediately sat upright with a squeak. "Do I know a civilian named Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Of course, I do! You're the one who introduced me to her, remember? Not only during Evillustrator but with other Akuma battles too! She always walks with disaster!"

Ladybug's brows shoot up at his stammering mess.

"I'm not saying that she's a walking disaster! She's always present during Akuma attacks, just like her Ladyblogger friend! How did I know that she and Ladyblogger are friends? She was featured in Ladyblog sometimes!"

It was comical how her partner was scrambling his arms while visibly sweating with bullets under her gaze.

"She's vulnerable during Akuma attacks! And as a protector of peace and security, I have to make sure that a civilian like her is safe!"

Realization finally hit her. "Wait, Chat. Don't tell me you - "

"I didn't mean to be a creep!" he blurted out then covered his beet-red face with his hands. "She leaves her balcony door unlocked, her windows are open almost all the time, and she sleeps anywhere like a rock!"

Ladybug choked her spit.

"Someone can harm her without her knowing! She's too exposed and too fragile and small! She has bad coordination skills, and she trips in the air! And she's too naive not to lock her goddamn skylight!"

In her defense, she forgot to repair the bolts that were broken due to Chat Blanc's consistent kneads. And if she ever repaired and replaced it, Chat Blanc will definitely try to destroy it again.

"She has a pet cat, one that can protect her." she pointed out.

Chat Noir removed his hands to give her a withering look. "Her cat knows nothing but to hiss at me."

No wonder why Chat Blanc was sharpening his claws almost every night.

"Cats are territorial. You know that." the spotted heroine sighed then patted his back. "You should, uh, talk to Marinette about it. About your concerns."

"I don't know how to approach her, given that she's a heavy sleeper," he confessed sadly. "I don't have any reasons to drop by while she's awake except giving her a lecture about Security 101 and creep her out."

"You will never creep her out, Chaton. I assure you."

The hero frowned then mulled over. "Marinette is quite scary when she's angry."

"Why, did she chew you out before?"

"Boy, tell me more about it."

She blinked. The only time she remembered losing her cool in front of her partner was when Evillustrator compared her to Chloe.

"How about this - I'll talk to Marinette about her safety issues on your behalf, then I'll make sure that she follows your suggestions to the T.," the spotted heroine said. "We're both girls anyways, so it's not going to be awkward."

"You'll do that for me?" her partner gave her an expectant look.

She nodded. "Of course, mon minou. We can't let any civilians be harmed under our watch."

His posture relaxed. "That's so claw-some."

"Kitty?"

"Yes, my Lady?"

She cracked a smile. "Marinette might appreciate if you can drop by next time to say ' _hi_ '. She wants to thank the person who brought her that beautiful flower pot, you know."

Chat Noir averted his gaze to focus on the darkened horizon. She couldn't see his expression, but the way his tail swished she knew that he was happy.

"Next time."

.

.

.

.

Later that night, after she dropped her transformation and prepared for bed, Tikki began her incessant rants of ' _I've been telling you since the beginning that it's Chat_ '.

Somehow, her kwami finds her embarrassment quite amusing.

"You know that I love Adrien, right?" Marinette reminded her. "And Chat Noir is my best friend."

"If you say so." the kwami rolled her eyes then nestled on her pillows.

Once the girl turned off the lights and settled on her sheets, she whispered in the dark. "Tikki?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I made a right decision?"

There was a humming silence before the kwami made a reply. "Chat Noir genuinely cares for your safety."

She buried her face in a blanket. "I can sense that."

"He's blind as a bat though." Tikki laughed. "He won't see me if that's your concern."

"But he's not dumb. Time will come and he'll figure me out."

"And you don't want him to?"

The girl paused for a moment. "Part of me wants to. But the other part tells me it's bad. Hawkmoth aside, I don't want to be a disappointment."

"Oh, Marinette - "

"It's okay, Tikki. I'm fine." she brushed her off and decided to drop the subject. "Let's sleep now."

"If you say so." the kwami nuzzled her cheek before slipping back to her space. "Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Tikki."

Then a mewl sounded below.

"Goodnight, kitty." the girl called out with a chuckle then lulled herself to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, Chat Blanc was looking at the skylight with an intense glare.


	8. Caterwauling

Something was going on with Chat Blanc.

While Marinette knew that cats were nocturnal beings, she wasn't fully prepared to suffer from his occasional night howls that almost ruined her sanity.

She couldn't remember when did it all start. There were nights wherein the white feline was completely silent, but oftentimes he was quite agitated. Not only his temperaments were unpredictable, his random cries threw her out of the loop.

If she locked her skylight, he would claw the bolts like there was a mice behind the wall. And if she left it opened, he would go to her balcony and begin his yowls.

What struck her as odd was that the noise lasted no more than a minute, and it always occurred around midnight.

The Dupain-Chengs haven't received any complaints from the neighbors yet, and fortunately, the cat wasn't loud enough to be heard downstairs, but Marinette didn't want to wait for an Eviction Notice to be issued before she made a move.

So after doing some online research and veterinary trips, she learned that cats tend to do that either to vocalize their insecurities out or to lure a mate.

They called it as caterwauling, a term used for cats in heat.

"But Chat is a male." Marinette reasoned. "Male cats don't go into heat."

"Unless there's a female in the vicinity." Alya countered. "Female cats emit scents that can make the males go wild. And looking at Chat, I can see that he's one hell of a healthy Tom."

The duo was having their lunch at the park when the conversation strayed from Biology project to Chat Blanc's nightly quirks.

"Have you considered neutering him?"

The pig-tailed girl shook her head. "I don't think Chat is in heat. Mating lasts for several days, and with a distinct pattern. My cat, however, yowls randomly for some unknown reasons. Besides, that bummer never leaves the house, let alone sniffing other cat's butt."

"Then maybe he's craving for more attention?"

Marinette also considered that as a possibility, but she was overly affectionate with him. Her parents dote him so much they often double his kibble servings when she's not looking. Then she, later on, found out that her cat was also receiving free meals from their customers in exchange for petting.

She glanced at the sight of Nino batting a toy wand to the playful white feline while Adrien was recording it with his phone.

"He's an attention whore all right." the girl deadpanned.

Alya placed a finger under her chin. "Hmm. Maybe Chat senses other cat's presence lurking around his turf at night?"

"Like some strays hanging out on my balcony?"

Street animals were a common issue in Paris. May it be cats, dogs, birds or even reptiles - some of them were feral, while others were abandoned pets.

"I don't think my cat was being threatened, or that he was scared that's why he meows at night." she went on. "Chat was all by himself sitting on my balcony railings when I checked him out once. And I've seen him spotting a stray before. He wasn't acting like that."

"Either Chat woke up from a nightmare, or he saw something that's not visible to our naked eye." her best friend smirked. "You pick."

Marinette shuddered at the thought.

With a help of Mr. Cesaire, the pig-tailed designer installed a fence roller as a cat confinement. It was deemed useless days later because Chat Blanc learned to do a workaround by pawing the gaps between the enclosures.

Despite it, the cat never left the premise at all. He still meows infrequently at the dead of the night.

Which was why Alya suggested building an animal trap during the weekends.

"This is getting ridiculous." Marinette shook her head with amusement. "Knowing my clumsiness, I might end up trapping myself."

"Oh. I've got everything covered, Girl." the brunette patted her back. "Including your clumsiness."

On her balcony rested a four by six feet long black mesh cage with an automatic lock. With its matte finish that blends well at night, the thin sturdy wires were designed to be undetected for animals with night visions.

"Papa was a wildlife conservationist back in Martinique," Alya told her. "When I was around my sister's age, he taught me some tricks of his trade. Sometimes I tag along during their rescue missions. There was this one time I squealed on a bunch of fox cubs running freely with their mom in the meadows."

"Do you miss your hometown?" Marinette asked as the two sat on her garden bench while observing the sunset.

"Sometimes. I mean, I grew up there. It's normal to feel homesick." she sighed then chewed a brioche. "But then, living here in Paris is still the best decision I've ever made in my life."

Her best friend scrunched her nose. "Yeah, chasing superheroes with your camera while being pit in a life-and-death situation must be the best."

"Aww, Mari-poo, don't be a jelly. I might have hots for Ladybug, and Chat Noir is my ultimate bae, but you're always my one true love."

It didn't take that long for the two to burst out laughing.

"Hey, now that we're done with our entrapment operation, why don't we discuss my Ladybug and Chat Noir's theories and how to unmask them?"

Chat Blanc joined them moments later and relished for more petting while they engaged in a heated debate.

When Alya went home for dinner, Tikki flew out from her hideaway and eyed the animal cage.

"Isn't that quite big for a cat trap?" the kwami asked.

"I think so too, but Mr. Cesaire doesn't have a smaller cage aside from his panther's," Marinette answered with a frown. "We don't know if it was really a cat that was distracting Chat Blanc at night. It might a mice or some sort of a bat."

"Let's hope his best pal understands that it's a trap cage, not a pigeonhole." Tikki snickered while they eyed Pierre, the pigeon, who was nestling comfortably on the rails. "Why don't you install a CCTV here instead?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Not only it may arise some silly questions from my parents, I don't want to out myself if someone saw a footage of Ladybug slipping into my room and dropped her transformation."

"Point taken."

"Besides," she added. "I don't sense any animosities towards my cat's secret enemy. At least they leave my plants in peace."

The kwami hummed then observed the trap's interiors with interest. "Using a catnip as your bait here will never do you favors."

"Urg, don't remind me that again." the girl groaned, recalling how she left a pouch of catnip open in the balcony and found an army of bleping strays the next day.

Marinette though of tuna, or tuna sandwich, but realized that its savory meat can also attract flies. So she resorted to a less savory yet delicious treat that can be eaten in an exposed environment.

Croissants.

"I don't think that's an attractive bait to lure an animal out, Marinette."

"The luck is on my side, Tikki." she glanced at the trap cage for the last time before heading downstairs. "Unless this animal is the most unfortunate cat in Paris."

Marinette never thought she has proven herself to be correct that night.

When Chat Blanc began to knead the walls incessantly again, a loud yelp sounded above her skylight, followed by a crash.

She was glad her parents remained undisturbed from their deep slumber despite the alarming noise. Covering herself with a thick coat, and with a flashlight activated on her phone, the girl opened her glass trapdoor and aimed it towards the trap cage.

Who would've thought she was lucky enough to capture the most unfortunate cat in Paris?

"Good evening, Princess." Chat Noir greeted sheepishly with drooped faux ears and a leather tail in between his legs. "I guess you've bagged yourself a cat tonight."


	9. Caught a stray

Marinette realized that Chat Blanc didn't like Chat Noir the same way he didn't like Adrien.

Because when the white feline saw the trapped superhero, his first reaction was to pounce the cage and snarl.

And to make the matters worse, the superhero responded him with a menacing hiss.

"Chat!" the girl pulled her fuming cat away. "Bad kitty!"

" _Excuse me_?"

"I'm not talking to you, mister. I'm talking to my cat."

"Oh."

She turned Chat Blanc to meet his gaze. "Behave!"

His reaction to his Master's words was immediate.

His emerald eyes were full of regrets, and the way his ears dropped on his head told her that he was sorry for his actions. His tail even curled on her wrist to emphasize it.

"He's harmless, you know." she sighed, placing the cat gently on the chair once he relaxed then caressed his back to calm his nerves.

"Are you referring to that fellow?"

Marinette rolled her eyes before she walked towards the cage, abandoning her cat's soft whimpers.

"Well, Monsieur Noir." she sat on the back of her heels then gave him an impassive look. "Am I supposed to be impressed considering that one of the great heroes of Paris paid me, a normal citizen, a surprise visit?"

"Oh, but the pleasure is all mine, Princess." Chat Noir grinned joyously despite her sarcasm. "I believe the miraculous Ladybug passed my message regarding your invitation. So here I am!"

 _Of course_ , she remembered. "That was a few days ago."

"Exactly!"

"At one in the morning?"

"Uh, better to be late than never?" he blushed at the awkward tension, especially when she narrowed her gaze.

In his defense, he never specified what date and time he would visit Marinette after he told Ladybug about it. But that wasn't a valid excuse for him to storm on her balcony at one in the morning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your beauty sleep." he bowed guilty. "I was so busy these past few days I couldn't visit you before your bedtime. And I was planning to double-check your security when I fell into your trap."

Her eye twitched on his pun. "Does this convince you now that I'm capable of protecting myself? That I'm not a walking disaster?"

She was trying not to be offended by Chat Noir's words. Her Kitty was caring and only thinking of every civilian's well-being, especially those who got dragged into Akuma battles. Bet she wasn't the only one he used to drop by to check their homes.

But hell, that was a jab on Ladybug's ego.

"I'm starting to agree." the feline hero rubbed his neck with an abashed face. "So Princess, would you mind to let this cat out from this bag?"

Marinette has another idea.

"And why would I do that, Monsieur Noir?" she crossed her arms. "First you trespassed my property, then you broke my security, and lastly you dared to threaten my cat."

"Uh..."

"Give me a valid reason, Monsieur Noir, why I should open this cage and free you, instead of skinning you alive and sell your carcass to Alya?"

Seeing how her Chaton's face paled with jaw-slacked expression and blown green eyes made her heart lurched to her gut. She didn't mean to instill fear in her partner and feigned him to reveal his identity, but she was still salty with his outlook towards Marinette.

His mouth quivered, but before he could utter a word, a growling sound from his stomach destroyed the mood.

"I think that's my answer." Chat Noir responded sheepishly then covered his face out of shame when his stomach growled again. "Apologies, Princess. My body seems to have a mind of its own."

On the third growl, Marinette decided to drop her act.

Then she laughed.

"It ain't funny!" the hero scolded her lightly.

"But it is, Chat!" she giggled between syllables while wiping some stray tears from her eyes. "If you just told me you're interested in a piece of bread, I might've freed you right away!"

The black mask failed to cover his tomato-red face.

"I thought it's for me," he mumbled, which only doubled the girl's peals of laughter. "Hey! Blame the croissants for calling me!"

"You're a hopeless case, Chat Noir. Alya will have a field day once she knows that a resident superhero has a weakness in croissants."

"Are you going to tell her, the one that runs Ladyblog?"

The designer didn't have to look at his sclera to sense his anxiety. She stood up and punched the codes on the cage locks until it disengaged.

"Of course not," she replied as she held the door open. "Your secret is safe with me."

Once Chat Noir crawled out from the trap, she decided to leave it closed to spare herself from another surprise. She must return it to Mr. Cesaire with gratitude and tell her best friend that she accidentally let the stray that was pissing Chat Blanc escaped.

"You have no idea how thankful I am for saving my skin, dearest Princess." the black-clad hero knelt down and swooped her hand for a kiss. "Or shall we say, my Hero."

Marinette groaned while rolling her eyes indignantly. How many girls did Chat Noir woo to win their favors?

Pulling her hand hastily, she retorted "It's nothing, Monsieur Noir. I did it to spare ourselves from public humiliation."

He stood up and both realized that he was almost a head taller than her. "Meow-ch. And here I thought my dear Princess was a sweet, kind and thoughtful type."

"It's not my fault for making you assume that I'm a sweet, kind and thoughtful type."

A sly grin marred on the hero's face, like a cat who got a cream. "You're interesting, Marinette."

"Excuse me." she placed her hands on her hips arrogantly. "I'm not your ball of yarn or a laser pointer for your amusement."

"Your words, not mine," he smirked then eyed the animal cage with disdain. "But really, Princess. Why would you place a panther-sized trap cage to lure meow-t?"

"I never realized it was you who was lounging on my balcony at night."

Chat Noir's brows perked up.

"I thought it was a random animal," she added. "Never in my life, I imagined capturing a cat superhero."

"You better stow that away, Princess. Or else you might capture a bug superhero."

She shuddered at the thought of Ladybug caging herself and the possibilities that could ruin her reputations. "I will do that first thing after sunrise."

"Don't tell Ladybug." he snickered then tapped the side of his nose. "But sometimes she's quite clumsy."

This time it was Marinette's brow that perked up.

"Not to mention how she tangled us with her yo-yo during Stoneheart, the first weeks after our debut she had difficulty controlling her balance." he bemused but with heartwarming expression. "She even slammed herself on the chimney during our first night patrol and the Lucky Charms? There were cases she messed the order of execution."

"I don't think your partner would appreciate you spilling the beans about her flaws." she grimaced.

"Oh, but her flaws made her paw-sitively purr-fect!"

Chat Blanc suddenly ribboned himself around his Master's leg while maintaining his animosity towards the hero's presence.

"Your cat is quite possessive." Chat Noir scoffed.

"I think it's innate for his breed." the girl picked her pet up then scratched his head, earning a mirthful purr. "And he's my hero."

"I'm your hero too, Princess."

She snorted then gently placed the cat on the floor. "Please stay, Chat."

"Are you talking to me, or that fellow?"

"Of course it's you." she rolled her eyes then sighed. "We have some leftover croissants that I can heat up while you wait here."

"Huh?"

"The Dupain-Chengs has a policy of not letting anyone leave this place with an empty stomach." she cut him before he could refuse her offer. "And that is non-negotiable, mister."

He was taken aback by her words.

Opening her hatch, she pointed her grumpy white cat. "Why don't you two try to get to know each other?"

Two pairs of green eyes lashed their tails and looked at her as if saying ' _no way_ '.

Once she descended and went to the kitchen, Tikki immediately perched on her shoulder. "Did I hear you correct, Marinette? That Chat Noir is with Chat Blanc upstairs?

The girl nodded while warming some pastries in the microwave. As the timer ticked, she grabbed two glasses and a saucer then poured it with milk.

"I don't see any problems with it, Tikki. I trust them to be on their best kitty behaviors unless someone's immaturity dragged in."

The kwami shook her head. "You never know there's a cat fight going on your balcony right now."

Marinette stopped her tracks then listened for some possible noises, only to hear her father's loud snores from the other room. How her mother put up with it for years, she never knows.

"As long as they won't destroy my plants," she muttered then carried a tray filled with snacks. "Or else."

Tikki observed her charger from her desk as she headed upstairs with an epiphany.

"Hope this will not end up with a catastrophe, Plagg."


	10. Consequence

Marinette was highly amused when Chat Noir's leather tail twitched irritably in the air the same way as Chat Blanc's while maintaining a serious eye contact.

They've been like that for half an hour already - him sitting on the bench while her pet on the rails - and quite adamant to win the useless cat fight. Who initiated the fight, the designer got no clue.

"You can't win a staring contest against a cat, Monsieur Noir." she admonished despite the irony.

"Oh yeah?" the feline hero sneered as he munched a bread. "Watch me."

With her partner's competitive streak, she knew this would prolong until dawn breaks.

Taking a deep breath, the girl stood up from her chair to pluck the white cat away from his line of sight then deposited it to her lap.

Both Chats whined in unison.

"Spoilsport."

Marinette stuck her tongue out. "You're both getting ridiculous."

"Don't blame me. Blame that fellow." the hero pointed the animal with an accusatory look. "For his terrible cat-titude."

Instead of retorting, Chat Blanc decided to nuzzle his Master's warm thighs shamelessly with his butt tucked out to his nemesis.

"See?!"

She chuckled as she caressed her pet's fur. "Aren't you the immature one here? You're throwing a fit because my wonderful pet snubbed you."

"Excusez moi, your pet is anything but wonderful."

"What a rude mangy cat." Marinette rolled her eyes without breaking her ministrations. She smiled when Chat Blanc's rumbling purrs reverberated on her skin.

"I don't know why, but Chat was acting like this on certain people. And they were all blonds." the designer began, referring to her pet. "Maybe he sensed the cat in you, or maybe you have the same air as my classmate Chloe. Other than that, you must've reminded him of someone who probably abandoned him in the past."

Chat Noir stopped mid-chew at the revelation. He made an audible gulp then placed his half-consumed croissant on the plate.

"I don't have an idea. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." she waved her hand. "These are just speculations, and I haven't told anyone about it yet. Dr. Moshe, Chat's vet, shared with me some stories about rescues and how they ended up in streets."

"Oh."

Marinette glanced at her relaxed cat with a sigh. "Animals have emotions like us humans. And sometimes, us humans tend to forget about it and just leave them as we pleased."

"Humans do that to their fellow humans too." she heard his mutters but decided not to make a comment.

"Thank you for the ceramic pot." she eyed the plant near the balcony. "As you can see, my daisies survived and bloomed well."

The hero trailed his gaze towards the plant then smirked. "I'm re-leafed you lily like it."

"Ladybug is right." the designer groaned. "Your puns are incorrigible."

"My puns are claw-some." he objected with crossed arms. "You don't have a meow-velous taste to a-purr-eciate it, Princess."

She rolled her eyes indignantly. "Why do you always call me ' _Princess_ ', Chat?"

"Because you are a princess," he explained matter-of-factly. "You lived in a castle - "

"An apartment." she corrected.

"- of sweets - "

"With a bakery."

"- with a balcony overlooking the city - "

"A balcony that views nothing but buildings."

Chat Noir pouted on her interruptions. "Aren't you a pessimist, Purr-incess?"

"I'm just a realist, Kitty."

"Kitty?"

Marinette feigned a cough to hide her slip. "Uh, I read in Ladyblog about your nickname? Sorry if I called you the same way as Ladybug - "

"No, no, no. It's fine! Kitty is fine!" he chirped then waved his hands excitedly. "You can call me any names you want. That's what friends do, right?"

"I hope you understand that bullies also call their lackeys some names."

Chat Noir gasped. "Are you bullying me, Marinette?"

She snorted at his ridiculous expression. "I might've kicked your butt and let my cat mauled you mercilessly if I am, silly."

He smiled at her, one that was foreign even to Ladybug, with electric green eyes that glimmered like he was having a nostalgia.

"I believe Ladybug mentioned to you about...you know..." the hero trailed off then rubbed his neck shyly.

"About you checking me out almost every night? And how you entered my room and tucked me to my bed without my permission?" her teasings earned her a flustered pout.

"Don't put it that way, Princess!"

Her melodious laughs that reverberated in the night gave Chat Noir a fuzzy feeling that warmed his chest.

"Are you doing this all the time, Chat? Visiting civilian homes to have a treat?" the designer asked.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure about my Lady's case, but I often have free times at night. Cats are nocturnal anyway, that's why I'm doing extra patrols and have a ' _reality break_ '."

"Are you homeless, Chat?" she asked warily. "Is that why you're famished right now? Don't you have a family - or are you an orphan perhaps?"

Chat Noir simply chuckled, but his eyes were full of melancholia. "I have a family, but they're nonexistent. I have a house, but not considered as my home."

A minute of silence hovered in the air.

They might've imposed a ' _no identity reveal_ ' rule but Ladybug couldn't deny that her partner lived a sad life. And now that she heard the answers directly from his mouth as Marinette, it only proves that her theories were right.

She knew it was a breach of their agreement, and she shouldn't get close to him as a civilian, but damn it she was tempted to hug her Kitty right there and wrap him with the fluffiest blanket she could ever find.

"I'm sorry." the designer bowed guiltily.

"Don't be, Marinette. It's fine" Chat Noir waved his hands. "It feels good to release some bottled feelings sometimes, and I know you're not a type that would share this with the world."

It only gnawed her conscience more. "Don't you have friends who know all about it?"

"I have. They know about my civilian issues but elaborating it further would mean telling them about my masked persona. I don't want that."

He was busy fiddling the edge of his half-emptied glass to notice how Marinette extended her hand to reach his clawed ones.

"If not for Chat Blanc." the designer squeezed. "I wouldn't mind adopting you as a pet."

Chat Noir squeezed back with a chuckle, but this time it was full of mirth. "Then I must fight Whitey for your affection fair and square."

"Whitey?" her brows furrowed.

"You think I'm going to call that fellow with my name? That's so awkward, you know."

"Hmm." she tapped her chin. "Then I must call you Blackey to avoid further confusions."

"Princess!"

Her spasming giggles disturbed her napping cat and earned her a disgruntled hiss.

"I will win you fair and square against Whitey, ma Purr-incesse." Chat Noir professed while glaring at the cat.

"You do that." she bemused. "And I have to think for some briberies to win Ladybug's favor."

"She won't mind. You're too claw-some already for this lonely soul." the feline hero shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, my Lady was too busy saving the world to pamper a poor cat like me."

"Ladybug cares for you, Chat, more than you imagined. You might not have noticed it, but she really does. You're not just her trustworthy partner, you're her best friend."

Chat Noir was a bit startled when he met the intensity of her bluebell eyes. He cracked a smile.

"Thank you for the assurance, Princess."

Marinette mentally noted to commend her Kitty more the next time she wears her spots.

They were about to finish their snacks when a familiar beep sounded.

"Oops. I think I stayed here longer than I expected." he sighed as he looked at his pawed ring. He stood up.

"Wait. Take this." she placed her revolting cat on the chair to grab the small paper bag, only to push it to his gloved hands. "These might be leftovers, but they're still delicious especially if you paired it with any hot drinks."

"Bu-but - "

"I may not know you in person," she interjected. "And I have no idea where you live, but I hope these croissants are enough to accompany you on your travel."

The black-clad hero eyed the paper bag deliberately before accepting, then pressed it against his chest. "Thank you."

She shook her head. "No, Chat. Thank you. For being a hero and a protector of Paris. No amount can compensate your bravery and kindness, and I hope those pastries are enough to express my gratitude."

"Your company is sufficiently enough, Purr-incess."

She tried not to grimace but failed. "If you're calling me by that moniker just for a useless pun, I might push you off from this balcony and haul you to death."

"Well, I hope our paths will croissant again."

"Chat!"

Chat Noir guffaws echoed on the empty street, and that moment Marinette wished the neighbors were not roused from their deep slumber and witnessed how the hero took her hand and kissed it.

There was something on the way his green staid eyes pored on hers that made her stomach burst with an army of butterflies. The warmth of his lips that brushed on her skin and the press of his thumb that massaged the spot shoot an electric current to her spine.

"They said that curiosity killed the cat." his lowly purrs didn't help her racing pulse either. "But you're the satisfaction that brought him back."

Since when did the midnight air become this hot?

"Cat got your tongue, Princess?"

Her sleep-deprived haze and the lack of Miraculous protection must be the reason why she was weak on his advances. But no way she would let the cat get the cream.

"You might be fine, Chat-sanova." she sassed then brushed his cheek lightly. "But you're not meow-velous enough to earn a purr-fect score on my books. Better earn your brownie points well, Kitty."

She was satisfied when his face bloomed into scarlet after she threw a flirtatious wink. Miraculous or not, he was still susceptible to teenage hormones.

Chat Noir lost his opportunity to banter when his ring beeped for the second time.

"You win this night, Princess." he grinned deviously. "But next time will be mine."

The feline hero made a two-finger salute then leaped with his baton. "Cat-ch you later, Marinette!"

.

.

.

.

"Good morning, Marinette!"

Marinette immediately lurched from her seat when Adrien's head popped on her desk with a cheeky grin.

"Goo - Goo - Goo - Good morning, A - A - A - Adrien!" she sputtered with a beet-red face.

The blond frowned. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well?"

Her caffeine-induced self and her lack of sleep didn't help her jumpiness, and when he cupped her cheeks, all of her nerves got fried and short-circuited.

 _Oh my gosh, Adrien touched my skin! Oh my gosh, Adrien held my face! Oh my gosh, Adrien and his pretty green eyes were looking at me like he's going to kiss me! Oh my gosh, Adrien moved his face near mine! Oh my gosh, Adrien...Adrien...Adrien...Adrien..._ #$£₩×% &?!

"You're all red, Marinette! And you're burning! Are you sick or something? Let me bring you to the clinic - "

"Okay, hold it right there Mister Gentleman! You're suffocating my baby girl!" Alya intervened hastily then pulled her best friend away. "Listen to my voice, Marinette. Breathe in, breathe out. Do it again - breathe in, breathe out. Good, now relax."

 _Thank heavens for the existence of St. Alya Cesaire and her miraculous works._

"Is she alright?" Adrien asked the brunette which earned a snort.

"Psssh, she's fine. She's just having her normal hyperventilation."

" _Normal_?!"

"Uh, she's like this when she's sleep-deprived. You know, when inspiration struck her in the middle of the night."

Marinette was calm enough to catch the model's crestfallen expression as he returned to his seat and murmured "I'm sorry."

"Leave them be, dude." she heard Nino's casual voice. "Mari's fine. Girls will always be girls. They have unexplainable swings that us guys will never understand."

"If you say so." was Adrien's reply.

When the designer sprung back to her usual self, their teacher already entered the room and began her roll call.

"What was that, girl!" Alya hissed at her best friend's ear. "Did Adrien smother you with attention?"

"I don't know!" she hissed back. "It's like I just died and went to Heaven!"

"Yeah, you almost died before me. Died of asphyxiation." the bespectacled made an impassive glare.

"Alya!"

"Mme. Cesaire and Mme. Dupain-Cheng, are you both finished with your discussion there? We would like to start our lesson now." the teacher called out much to their embarrassment.

"Yes!" they yelled in unison.

Moments later, Marinette received a piece of paper from Alya with a note ' _Did you catch the culprit_?'

' _I did_.' she wrote back. ' _I should've skinned that mangy cat alive before letting it go_.'

.

.

.

.

Night came when she heard a loud tapping noise from her window.

"Chat?! What are you doing here?" the designer asked when the superhero landed on her balcony. "Is there an Akuma around or - "

"Calm down, Princess. There's no Akuma attacks or anything." Chat Noir snorted then handed her a pastry box. The logo was from a high-class confectionery located in another arrondissement.

"What's this?" she asked despite knowing the contents inside.

"Brownies!"

"I know these are brownies but what are these for?"

The feline hero puffed his cheeks. "I'm trying to earn my points."

"You're ridiculous." she deadpanned.

"Ridiculous or not, I bought some brownies to share it with you!"

"Okay...?" she didn't get it. "But why me and not Ladybug?"

"Because I don't know her whereabouts and where she lives...?"

"Oh really." was her sarcastic reply.

"It's my solo paw-trol tonight, and since you're still awake despite it's already past midnight, I decided to drop by and say hello."

"Okay, hi. Now what?"

He tilted his head to the side then blinked his sclera innocently. "I thought I told you that I'll be back tonight?"

Realization finally dawned on her, and when he flashed a lop-sided grin, she knew that yesterday was a mistake.

"Why, Princess. You of all people should know the consequence of feeding a stray."

Chat Blanc emerged behind her leg and made an accusatory growl of ' _I told you so_.'


	11. Look what the cats dragged in

Marinette learned that it was cat's nature to bring dead animals to their owner as their way of showing their love and affection. She thought that there was an exception to the rule and that Chat Blanc was a special case.

How wrong she was.

During the initial weeks of living with her pet, the designer began to receive several amounts of surprises left on her loft staircase, particularly _dead black mice_.

She could still remember the _softness_ of its furry body against her sole when she walked down groggily on that fateful Monday morning, and the _splatting_ sound that followed together with some flying meat chunks and bloody veins God knows where it landed afterward.

Marinette had to scream her lungs out the first time she encountered such horrendous carcass, and her parents almost called 112 thinking that an intruder attacked their daughter.

And in the midst of that chaos was a mewling Chat Blanc with his tail wagging happily like a good boy he was.

Thanks to her Lady Luck, Marinette didn't throw up on the spot or fall down to meet her demise. She summoned her inner superheroine to lift her murderous leg up and inspect how some strands of the intestines slithered on her skin. The grayish matter stuck on her toenails that she constantly denied being a portion of rodent's brain, however, spoiled her appetite for weeks.

It took her three ' _rude awakenings_ ' to discover that the mice were technically not dead but unconscious, and the one that delivered the last judgment was none other than her small, bare foot.

"Aren't you glad that Chat loves you in a most twisted way?" Alya taunted much to her best friend's chagrin. They were staying at the zoo that time for an afternoon stroll.

"That's a typical problem for rescues." Otis eyed the white feline that was sniffing his panther's glass cage. "Even if you'll make him a 100% indoor cat, you still can't stop his instinct to hunt. It's part of their genes."

Marinette received some useful tips from Dr. Moshe on minimizing Chat Blanc's generosity of teaching his Master how to eat dead animals.

One of her workarounds was congratulating the cat for being a good boy after putting the poor mouse on her staircase again, then threw it away as soon as he left the premise.

Unfortunately, he caught her red-handed.

Fortunately, his gross behavior stopped.

The change wasn't drastic though.

At first, Chat Blanc diverted his attention to insects, from catching butterflies in between his canine teeth - much to Tikki's amusement - to live bugs.

The worst experience Marinette had was during her classmates' sleepover.

All girls except Chloe and Sabrina were too busy playing with Truth or Dares to notice the prancing cat and the insect that he slipped near their feet.

It was a cockroach.

Nino almost suffered an aneurysm when they relayed the story the next day.

As far as the designer could recall, that was the last incident of seeing dead inside Dupain-Cheng's household.

She was quite proud of herself. It was a mission accomplished. She really deserves a pat on the back.

Not until she factored Chat Noir.

Her feline partner was fond of bearing gifts to his Lady, and would often pull his Kitty Eyes™ card just to win the argument. Not that Ladybug hates being showered with affection; she didn't want her Chaton to spend hundreds of euros for a piece of jewelry.

As if she didn't know the cost of Charriol.

The cat in him was quite difficult to be conditioned not to bring her gifts, and it took her twice the effort to make him stop. Eventually, she succeeds.

But when Chat Noir befriended her civilian self, his persistence doubled over that even her tactics as Ladybug didn't work on Marinette.

Since that ridiculous ' _brownie_ ' point pun, his nightly visits became a normal occurrence between teens and not once Chat Blanc failed to express his displeasures.

" _Salut_ , ma Purr-incess!" the black-clad hero greeted while swinging his leg on the balcony rail, then glowered at the cat behind her leg. "How is it going, Whitey?"

The white feline sneered him like ' _Fuck off, Blackey_ '

Marinette rolled her eyes indignantly at her Chats' ludicrous exchanges.

"What are you doing here, Monsieur Noir?" she crossed her arms with a huff. "Don't tell me you're on a midnight stroll again and saw a ' _beauty_ '" she used her fingers to quote the word. "who in dire need of your company?"

"Me-wow, you read my mind, Princess!"

Her scowl earned a shit-eating grin. "Is this another alibi of _'I-caught-a-baddie-and-got-freebies-but-Ladybug-was-MIA_ ' in a form of crepes?"

"Nope!" he emphasized his ' _p_ ' then presented her a container of steaming kebabs with a wink. "Purr-lease don't grill me if I made a mis-steak of skewer-ing your taste purr-eference."

She threw him a beady glare.

During his visits, Chat Noir would always bring her some presents in a form of street foods and rare baubles, and every time she refused to accept them, he would deflate and say ' _I'm too used to be rejected_.'

That mangy cat really knows how to guilt-trip her, leaving her with no choice but to obey his biddings.

"Do you live in a haberdashery?" she inspected the gold bobbins he handed previously. "Because there's no way you can find these things randomly _'lying around_ '."

The superhero shrugged his shoulders casually and said. "I preferred to see those at your disposal."

Marinette became cautious not to out herself whenever they engaged in a deep conversation. She also decided not to pry further into Chat Noir's life despite the opportunity. She didn't want to discover something that would lead her to his civilian identity.

Next night came and he brought her rhinestone cufflinks.

"Aren't you acting like a crow?"

"Purr-incess, crows are not the only one that loves shiny things."

Both glanced at Chat Blanc with full-blown green eyes as he pawed the item.

She couldn't remember for the life of her if she told Chat Noir about her dream to become a fashion designer. She might've brought her sketchbook to the balcony once, but she never showed him her designs.

Yet here he was bringing her textiles and sewing materials that may or may not be useful for her current project.

"Princess!" he arrived again the following night with a dark bodybag slumped on his shoulder.

"I swear, Chat. If you're bringing me dead bodies I'm going to call the police."

The feline hero snorted then placed the bag on the balcony floor. "Guess what this cat dragged in?"

Marinette unzipped the bag carefully and almost fell over when she saw the content.

She _screamed_.

Heavy footsteps sounded below with loud raps on her trap door. "Marinette! Honey, are you alright?!"

Both teens froze on the spot.

"I - I'm fine, Papa." the designer squeaked while the hero stopped his breath. "Cha - Chat surprised me with...with something."

There a chuckle followed by an exasperated sigh. "Tell Chat not to bring animal bodies again or he'll be neutered first thing in the morning."

"I - I will!' she squeaked again while averting her gaze from Chat Blanc's impassive look.

"Don't stay up late again, sweetie."

"'Night, Papa! Sweet dreams, Maman!"

"'Night, honey."

The teens waited for a few beats of silence before they released a sigh of relief.

"Geez, Purr-incess. Don't let this Chat out from the bag."

She slapped his arm. "I'm tempted to skin you mangy cat! You surprised me!"

"So what do you think, ma Purr-incesse?" he wiggled his brows at her jaw-slacked face.

"You carried a bolt of _fucking guanashina_ all the way here?!" she exclaimed with arms flailing in the air. "A _guanashina_ , Chat Noir, a _guanashina_! Do you know how much is the price for its yard?! A month's worth of allowance is not enough for this luxury! And here you are giving me a bolt?!"

"Pssh, nobody gives a damn on this cloth. I'd rather let you have you this than to see it rot."

"Bu-but this is expensive, Kitty. I'm fine with the usual buttons, threads, yarns and some linen scraps. But this?" she closed the bag then stood up. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this."

"C'mon, Marinette. Don't tell me I have to carry that several pounds of fabric again while leaping on the rooftops?" he whined.

"Why are you doing this, Chat Noir?" her question confused him. "I didn't do anything to warrant this kind of favor."

"You offered me food." was his reply. "And a wonderful company."

"It's the thought that counts, Chat. I can't - "

The feline hero reached her hands when she stepped back. "Marinette."

She flinched upon contact and almost dissolved into a puddle of goo when she met his warm emerald eyes.

"Is it too much to ask you to accept my humble gesture?"

"But - "

"Please? As my friend?"

He batted his lashes while flaunting his Kitty Eyes™ and that moment, Marinette knew she was utterly defeated by his charms.

"Fine!" she clicked her tongue much to the hero's amusement. "But you have to accept my money the next time you pull another trick!"

Chat Noir released her then clutched his chest. "Oh, ma Purr-incesse. There's no trickery on this, for I am but a well-endowed cat. But if you're adamant to return my feelings, I'd rather have your attention instead of your allowance."

If she didn't know him well, she would never decipher the sincerity behind his goofiness.

"You have my attention now, Kitty." she scoffed with hands on her hips. "So what do you want to have tonight?"

"Croissants!" was his immediate reply.

"The usual?"

"The usual."

The designer tapped her chin as if thinking. "I can bring some, but I think we have something that would suit your taste."

She surprised him with a plate of tuna sushi.

"This is purr-fect!" the feline hero moaned happily after he chewed a piece with his chopsticks.

"Cats really love fish, huh." she snickered then glanced at her white cat that was also smothered with tuna.

"You _cod_ say we're _hooked_ ," he answered then burped, which earned a scowl. "Oops. _Saury_."

Marinette wouldn't admit it, but ever since Chat Noir began to drop by every night to say ' _hi_ ', she would always prepare him some snacks.

His croissants were actually fresh, and she would slip him some extra pastries like cookies, profiteroles, and macarons she also lied to be stales. He might have noticed it, and probably knows the difference between her parents and her self-made treats, but decided to keep his comments behind his smiles.

After finishing his tea, he asked. "I don't mean to be rude to your preference, Princess. But milk is not an ideal pair for sushi, you know?"

She raised a brow at her cold glass of milk. "It doesn't churn my stomach, so it's fine. Besides, I always drink milk before bedtime."

"And here I thought I'm the cat in this relationship." he teased then poked her shoulder. "Unless you're drinking it to grow taller."

When his words met silence, he guffawed.

"Shu - shut up, you stupid cat!" she kicked his shin with no remorse.

"Meow-ch! No wonder your bones are strong!"

"You have no right to make fun of the person who feeds you!"

Chat Noir only laughed harder much at her embarrassment.

"Girls can still increase their height at the age of sixteen!" her defenses almost cracked him a rib. "And I just grow two last summer!"

"Two what?"

"Two centimeters!"

The feline superhero collapsed on the floor in tears.

"Oh, my gosh - hahaha - Princess! You're so - ahahaha - so cute!"

"Stop mocking me!"

"I'm not - pffft - mocking at your great dream! Ahahaha - meow-ch! Ouch!"

"That's it!" she stormed inside while abandoning his yowls. "You're not allowed to stay on my roof, much more on my balcony, again!"

Chat Noir still came back though.

And when he brought her a carton of fresh milk as an apology, Marinette immediately hauled it directly to his face.


	12. Shopping

Marinette wasn't sure about cats and their antics of following their Masters around - both inside and outside the house.

She remembered how Chat Blanc cried outside her bathroom door when she locked it once, and another when she closed the shower curtain to take a bath. Not to mention that he was tagging along whenever she goes to school, the cat would even accompany her in delivering pastries.

If not for him, she might've died from an accident last month.

But then, his behavior was not always welcomed.

"No." the designer gave her mewling pet a beady eye. "You are not allowed inside a fabric shop, kitty. You might be sued for stealing some yarns there."

Chat Blanc meowed while ribboning himself around his Master's legs.

"Don't you dare give me that pleading look. It's not working."

He meowed again.

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose. " _Maman_! Help me!"

Sabine poked her head from the kitchen and observed her daughter who was having a meltdown on their porch.

"Sorry, dear. I don't have the heart to put him in a cage." the Chinese woman said.

"But Maman, I can't bring him along with me." the pig-tailed girl whined. "Can you just lock him for a few minutes until I get out of here? Please?"

"You know it will end up badly, right?"

When Marinette once caged her pet and have her parents release him an hour after she left the premise, Chat Blanc immediately went out of the house and didn't return before dinner.

Tom had to contact the city pound for the missing cat; even Sabine had to ask their neighbors about Chat Blanc. That time, Marinette was with Alya, Nino, and Adrien for a movie night when she received a call from her frantic mother.

If not for her alter-ego, she will never find her cat hanging helplessly on a tree branch.

"Listen here, buddy." the girl knelt down and petted his head. "I'm going to a bazaar for a fabric warehouse sale. There's a lot of people there and it's going to be bloody. You might be crushed, or worse be catnapped by some humans. I will not be able to save you, _mon chaton_."

Chat Blanc meowed in response.

"Okay kitty, I don't speak cat languages, but let me tell you again - no."

Tom emerged from the stairs then chuckled at his daughter's dilemma.

"Let me pick him up, sweetie." the baker plucked the feline on the floor. "Say ' _bye-bye_ ' now to your Human."

"Please watch him, Papa." Marinette sighed as she kissed her father's cheek then another to her pet. "Hope the cherry pink linen is still in-stock."

"I'm sure it will. Be here before dinner, okay?"

"Will try."

Marinette tried not to wince when Chat Blanc cried as she closed the door and left. Once she rode the bus, she opened her pouch discreetly and met her kwami's sorry eyes.

"I feel bad for Chat, but we have to leave him for his own safety." Tikki soothed her. "We can bring him some cat toys and treats as an apology."

"You know Chat's logic - he would choose a cardboard than a €25 cat bed to sleep in." she chuckled.

It was early Sunday morning yet the plaza was already brimming with people. Some of the booths were not open yet while others were already re-stocking their displays.

Before she could go to the first booth, a shadow immediately landed behind her and spoke "Fancy meeting you here, Purr-incess."

Marinette groaned.

"What are you doing here, Chat Noir?"

The black-clad superhero twirled his staff before latching it on his back. "Well, a birdie told me that you're on a shopping spree today, and as your valiant Knight, I find it unacceptable that a Princess like you don't have a company."

"Valiant knight." the designer scoffed. "More like a phony stalker."

Chat Noir pouted indignantly.

"I'm fine, Kitty. You don't have to tag along. I'll be looking around here for some cheap fabrics, and probably buying lots of it depending on my budget."

"Then it's better if I'll go with you! That way, you'll have someone who can carry your things." he quipped then flexed his arms shamelessly. "Don't you trust these wonder-fur guns?"

Marinette felt another headache coming.

How she wished she has a bigger cage to lock another cat.

"Don't you have anything to do today?" she placed her hands on her hips. "Play games, have fun with your friends? Or patrol maybe? I don't mean to be rude Chat, but you're a renowned person in Paris. I don't want to intimidate some shops here because you're with me. Besides, I can manage myself."

"I'll make sure to step few meters behind you."

"Haggle is a boring activity, Chat."

"Haggle is a learning experience, Princess."

"Kitty no."

"Kitty yes."

The designer began to massage her temples. She tried not to make a scene and kick the stupid mangy cat in the rear. She knew how persistent her _Chaton_ with or without his infamous Kitty Eyes™, and the only possibility she could do to throw him off her trails was to transform into Ladybug.

But that would also mean bazaar shopping as Ladybug.

With an exasperated sigh, she poked his chest with her index. "I'm not going to bail you out if you were caught stealing a yarn."

Chat Noir beamed up then nodded rapidly.

Entering on their first booth, the owner immediately recognized the hero.

"I'm sorry Madame, but I'm a cosplayer." he lied, making the woman's excitement vanished. "We're also looking for some polyester spandex with the same quality as my costume."

"That's a good costume you have there, young lad. Did you make it?" one of the onlookers asked after they left for their third shop.

"Ah, no. I bought it from Amazon."

"Wow, I almost thought you're Chat Noir." another person commented. "Too bad your companion is not wearing a Ladybug costume."

Marinette tried not to snort as she rummaged some swatches.

She was glad Chat Noir didn't garner too much attention. She was able to enter from one booth to another without any hassles, and even though there were other sellers who were too stingy to give her some discounts, she remained impassive on their customer's service.

"That's an Alpine velvet, young lady. I will give it to you for only €7.35 per yard."

"Erm, isn't it quite expensive?"

"How many yards do you want? I can offer €6.35 if it's more than five yards."

"How about €6?"

"That's already below the market price, young lady."

"Oh. But one of the booths here offered me €6 a yard."

"Really? Maybe it's not an Alpine."

"It's an Alpine, Monsieur." the pigtailed designer clarified. "But they don't have a burgundy silk unlike here."

The man took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll give it to you for €6. How many yards of burgundy silk do you want?"

"Two, please."

"That's...€36.70 in total."

"€36.70?! I can buy a yard of these for only €18 in St. Peter's!"

"These are Dupioni."

"These are old stocks." she pressed on. "Why not €36 for two, Monsieur?"

The old man sighed again as he punched the numbers into the calculator.

"You're so claw-some, ma Purr-incesse. There's no way I can do your tricks of the trade." Chat Noir mused while sipping a fruit shake they bought from a food stand. The two were on a short break and currently sitting on a stone bench.

"Maman's better." Marinette finished her crepe then balled the wrapper. "She can get half a price of wheat flour even though there's a 20% discount on bulk orders. She can also get vegetables and meats in the market for a cheaper price. Not to mention her budgeting skills."

"This might sound like stereotyping, but Chinese are well known for their money expertise."

"You mean frugality." she threw the balled garbage in the trash can. "I'm an impulse buyer, Chat. I can't keep up with my savings, and sometimes I'm short on my allowance. I'm a disgrace to my genes."

"I assure you most French has that same problem."

They looked at each other and laughed at the notion.

"Do you always do this? I mean, roaming around in public with your suit but not admitting your identity?"

He chewed the end of his straw as if contemplating. "Let's just say I'm involved in an industry that requires a bit of acting."

"So you're an actor, huh?" the pigtailed girl chuckled then stood up. "Let's go to my last stop, Kitty."

Being a gentleman, Chat Noir insisted to carry all of her shopped items despite her reluctance.

She was planning to leave her things on an isolated corner first then transport it all as Ladybug, but her partner's appearance only stalled her plans.

"I never thought window shopping can be this interesting." the feline hero bemused. "In my experience, shopping means quantity. Yours is quality."

"Not all people are born with a silver spoon, Kitty," she remarked then stopped in front of a textile shop. "I think I'm good here."

"Here? But this is not your home."

"I need to buy some materials here before I go home."

"Then I'll go with you."

Marinette raised her brows then tapped the signage on the glass door.

'No Pets Allowed'

"Meanie!" he scowled at her humor.

"Really, Chat. I'm fine here." she patted his arm lightly. "As much as I enjoyed your company, I've been taking most of your time today. You must be tired carrying my belongings while walking for hours, and I bet you missed your today's cat naps. I don't want to be a nuisance on your free day."

She knew as Ladybug that Chat Noir rarely got any day-offs during weekends.

So why was he spending his entire Sunday with Marinette?

"I don't want to waste my time doing irrelevant things all by myself," he confessed glumly. "I'd rather waste it with you."

Her heart immediately dropped when she met his emerald eyes. "Oh, Chat."

"I don't have any commitments today, and no one's at home who can monitor my whereabouts. My best friend in real life was busy. Ladybug will be available later for night patrol. So basically, I'm all yours today."

"Silly Kitty." she shook her head. "Don't you dare complain to your partner that I abused your kindness today."

"Oh, ma Purr-incesse. My Lady might give you her utmost gratitude for putting up with her cat."

"Her cat, huh? I'll tell your owner to have you be trained you properly."

"You're acting more like my owner than LB, Princess."

Marinette entered the shop with an amused smile while Chat Noir decided to wait for her outside with her bundled fabrics.

It took her an hour to finish her transactions due to a long queue.

"Are you sure you can carry me and my belongings without plunging us to death?" she asked at his ridiculous suggestion.

"I am Chat Noir, defender of Paris. What else could go wrong?"

"Your bad luck." she deadpanned.

Fortunately, the superhero was able to pull it off without any injuries.

Unfortunately, Chat Blanc was waiting on the balcony during their landing.

Not only the white feline tried to scratch Chat Noir, he was sulking throughout the night and refused to respond his Master's call.

.

.

.

.

"Good evening, My Lady."

"Good evening, Chaton." Ladybug greeted. "You look so happy tonight."

Chat Noir shrugged his shoulders with a dopey grin. "I cat the best date with a claw-some girl today."

 _So he went on a date after he sends me home._

The spotted heroine abandoned the sharp pain that stabbed her chest. "O - oh? S - she must be amazing then."

"She's purr-fect!" he chirped giddily. "She's kind, compassionate and witty. Not to mention charming and cute. The bestest best fur-iend one could ever have!"

She didn't want to ask. Hell, it was too painful to ask, but she did.

"Who is she?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Ladybug choked her spit.


	13. Spray bottle

They were having an after-school group study in Marinette's room when Alya made a snide remark "Don't you think Chat Noir's butt is getting bigger?"

Marinette and Adrien sputtered their drinks simultaneously.

" _Alya_!" the pig-tailed girl chided with beet-red face while their other bespectacled friend was hitting the coughing blond's back. "We're all eating here!"

"So what? I don't see any problems talking about a fine ass."

"We are not talking about anybody's fine asses here, in my own room, especially Chat Noir's ass!"

"C'mon, Mari. Try to indulge your best friend here." the brunette prodded then flicked some gallery images on her phone. "If you check Chat Noir here, the one I got way back during Horrificator, and the recent shot I got during Baconator...and if we zoom his rear in - "

"Alya!" Marinette had to slap the phone away as she controlled her blush, while Adrien's face turned into sickly white.

"Leave the poor cat boy alone, Alya." Nino snorted while shaking his head. "You can't bully a superhero that saved your life more than once, you know."

"Ye-yeah. Ju - just give him a b - break." the blond added timidly as he sipped his remaining juice.

"Fine!" the brunette grumbled with crossed arms. "But as their PR manager, I must not miss a single detail about their growth."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Since when did you become their PR manager?"

"Since the day they declared their war against Hawkmoth! Any you can't deny my claims, Girl. Because Ladyblog is my evidence."

"Yeah, yeah." the pig-tailed girl rolled her eyes again as she chewed her sandwich.

"Speaking of growth..." Alya scrolled her phone screen. "Don't you think Ladybug's bust is growing too?"

While Marinette hacked her throat when the bread went to a wrong pipe, Adrien choked and accidentally spewed all of his juice to his best friend's face.

" _Bro_!"

The blond apologized profusely as he wiped Nino's grossed face with tissues.

"Urk -"

" _Alya_!" Marinette covered her chest self-consciously. "We're studying relevant lessons here!"

"But I'm bored!"

"Just because you're bored you can just sexually harass a superheroine who saved Paris on a daily basis!"

The brunette scoffed "As if our boys here are not guilty of fantasizing her ladyboobies."

Adrien's head became so red he was sure his blood could spurt out from his ears.

"Nuh - uh. Count me out." Nino quipped. "Because all I want is nothing but your watermelons, bae."

Alya gasped dramatically then batted her lashes. "Aww, you're a terrible pervert boo~"

"But I am your pervert boo~"

Marinette and Adrien gagged in unison as they returned to their school work.

Being an attention-seeker, Chat Blanc walked down from the stairs then waddled towards his Master for belly rubs, much to his Master's gratification. She scratched his weak spots absentmindedly while her other hand leafed the pages of her books.

Her actions made the white cat purred in delight.

"No offense dude, but isn't Chat getting...fatter?"

As if on cue, the cat flipped on his back shamelessly with his hind legs spread out in the air for more petting.

"Chat doesn't care if you fat-shame him." Alya chuckled at the feline's mewls. "He likes to be called as fat."

"Chat's not fat." the pig-tailed girl pouted then poked her pet's squishy stomach. "He's...a bit plumpy, but that's because he's healthy. He's a growing kitty, right _mon minou_?"

Marinette noticed how her blond classmate subtly rolled his eyes. She even heard him muttered about something, but Chat Blanc's meows drowned his volume.

The friends resumed their studying for a few minutes until Alya stood up.

"Hey, what's with the water spray here?" the brunette pulled a mouse-shaped bottle from the desk drawer then shook it in the air. "Is Chat starting to become a bad kitty?"

While Marinette knew her pet would automatically duck his head between her thighs, she wasn't expecting that Adrien would faintly cower behind his books.

She tried not to take note of how he slightly, slightly moved towards her space.

"Stop that, Alya. You're scaring my Chat." she scolded her without noticing the blond's odd reaction. "I've been using that for my garden, and to chase some strays away."

"By keeping it in your drawer?"

"Hey, I can forget things."

In actuality, she kept the spray bottle there for the purpose of scolding her feline pet whenever he tried to claw the things she labeled as ' _off-limits_ ', and at the same time, a tool to shoo a certain feline hero once he starts to become ' _too playful_ '.

"Don't tell me you fed a stray that won't leave you alone, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Ma-maybe?" she answered sheepishly.

Alya gaped at her then shook her head in defeat. "You're too good for this world."

"I don't think the sayings about strays and foods are always right," Nino said as he munched a quiche. "Cats can also roam around to mate, you know."

While Marinette guffawed on the idea of Chat Noir wooing Chat Blanc, Adrien felt like throwing up.

"Oh my gosh, Ni-no!" the pig-tailed girl giggled as she imagined a serenading Chat with a guitar under the moonlight. "But they're both males!"

"So what? Either this stray might be a gay for your cat, or he's totally into you."

The DJ's comment didn't help Marinette's teary peals of laughter and Adrien's internal screamings at all.

"Pfft, Nino - he's not - ahahahaha - oh crap, he's not seeing me that way!"

Nobody heard how the blond offendedly grumbled ' _why not_ ' under his breath.

"Cats might be superficial animals, but they can grow an attachment towards their humans, regardless if they are the owners or not. I believe all animals share this same trait." Alya supported with a snap. "Take my Dad and his panther for example."

"Is your Mom not even jealous of their close bond?" Nino asked while reaching for his second helpings. "I mean, your pops got akumatized because Kim called his panther a ' _weakling_ '."

"Well, she thinks she's the third wheel in the relationship. I'm not surprised if one day she'll file a divorce because our Dad fell in love with his panther."

"A panther for a partner? That's so wild."

"Shut up, Agreste!"

"I'd like to think that this stray visits me for food," Marinette interjected after she gathered her bearings. "I'm not surprised if he's doing the same thing to other people."

"Impossible. There's no way he can do that!" Adrien blurted out, then squirmed at his friends' inquisitive stares. "I guess?"

Alya plucked Chat Blanc from his Master's lap, much to the animal's chagrin. "You pudgy Chat, now you have a competition. You should've exercised more and worked those claws out to scratch the mangy stray for stealing your Master."

"He tried, and miserably failed."

Three heads turned at the smirking blond with quizzical looks.

"What?"

"I know you and Chat Blanc are like sworn enemies." his best friend remarked. "But you're not a type that would condone illicit affairs."

The pig-tailed designer scowled "Hey!"

"I don't see why anyone would dislike a stray, much more if he's a handsome stray." Adrien shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "What do you think, Marinette?"

The vibrancy of his green eyes made the girl to avert her gaze and instead focused on the floor. She never thought the patterns of her wool carpet could be this interesting.

"Dibs for a sleepover!" Alya suddenly announced. "We're all going to camp out in Mari's balcony and check the handsome stray that won her heart!"

"Alya!" her flustered best friend squeaked. "I never said he's handsome! Or that he won my heart!"

"But your face told us otherwise." the brunette pointed out. "You know what? You're inspiring me to post this on my blog. And the title will be ' _The one who wrecked my MariChat_ '"

"Erm, babe? I hope you realized that Chat Noir's shortened name in your blog is 'Chat'"

"Oh, you're right Nino." the bespectacled girl pounded a fist on her palm. "I'll use ' _MariBlanc_ ' then."

"Can we just stop this ridiculous topic and let's focus on our assignments instead?" Marinette sneered at her friends' ridiculousness.

"Geez, Mari. Always a spoilsport. We're not in school right now yet you're still pulling that ' _class rep_ ' on us."

"That's because I'm a responsible student of Collège Françoise Dupont." she sassed.

"I don't see the ' _responsible student_ ' vibe when you're also the Queen of Tardiness."

"Burn!" the boys rolled over chuckling as the pig-tailed designer tackled her best friend then gave her a good kick in the shin.

Alya rubbed the sore spot. "You might be small, but damn you have a strength of a monster!"

Marinette poked her tongue out.

The friends almost finished their respective homework when they decided to call it a day.

"Why can't I stay here for a night and meet your ' _secret pet_ '?" Alya whined as she stepped outside the apartment.

"Because one: you have to babysit your siblings while your parents are out of town. And two: he's not my ' _secret pet_ ' and no way I'm going to adopt him as my ' _pet_ '. He comes and goes whenever he pleases, so there's a chance you might not see him during your sleepover."

"Aww, that sucks." she hung her head dejectedly. "Hey, why don't you take a picture of this mysterious stray?"

"And what, you'll post it on your Ladyblog?" Marinette placed a hand on her hip. "You know the troubles I had when I asked my parents to adopt Chat Blanc. Try to imagine what would be their reaction once they heard about a ' _stray_ ' that lurks on my balcony."

"Oh, that would be bad for your bakery." the brunette realized then tapped her chin. "I'll try to be vague as possible."

"Nope."

"C'mon, I'm curious! I want to know the reason why your panties are getting twisted every time I ask about Chat's nemesis."

"Alya!"

"Oh my God, is this the one that you tried to entrap last time? The one that's pissing Chat every night?"

"Alya!"

"It is!" she squealed. "What breed is it? Mixed? Persian? Or maybe Sphinx? I bet he's cute and adorable. C'mon, a picture will do, Mari, and we're even."

Marinette pinched a bridge of her nose then sighed. "I can't promise."

"Yay!"

"Alya!" this time it was Nino who called her name. "I thought we'll be fetching your siblings before six!"

"Be there in a minute!" she yelled back then planted a kiss on the pig-tailed girl's cheek. "I'm not done with you yet, Girl. I'm going to hound you so hard later until you spilled all the beans."

" _Au revoir_ , Atilla."

Alya gave an indignant snort then bid her friend goodbye.

Tikki poked her head out once they left the premise. "Are you going to take a picture of Chat Noir in your balcony and show it to Alya?"

"Of course not." Marinette harrumphed. "I have to think some alternative options like how I - oh, shoot!"

She suddenly remembered her other friend that was left inside her room.

Good thing she removed all of his paraphernalia and hid them well, but she didn't want to be conceited by his oblivious nature.

Him staying alone in her room was like a landmine that could blow her into proportions.

"Adrien?" she called him upon pushing her trap door, then noticed her opened skylight. "Adrien?"

There she saw him standing blissfully on her balcony, with slender hands on the rails.

He turned around then flashed her a dimpled smile that almost reached his ears. "You have an astounding view here, Marinette."

"Yeah." she breathed at the mesmerizing sight of the blond model.

His white shirt was slightly crumpled, and his usual neat blond locks were being ruffled by the afternoon wind. His back looked so broad and straight against the sunlight, with loose shoulders that qualified as slouching in professional shoots.

For some unknown reasons, his poise reminded her of Chat Noir.

Chat Blanc immediately popped beside her then growled at the model.

"You don't like me, do you?" Adrien grimaced at the white cat's feral glares.

Marinette moved her pet away from his direction. "Sorry about that. I don't know what makes Chat so uncomfortable with you."

"Maybe because I can steal you for myself?"

"What?"

"Nothing!" the blond gesticulated frantically with scarlet cheeks. "I mean, he thinks that I'm going to steal you? Me stealing you? Why am I going to steal you?"

"Ye-yeah. Why..."

The awkward tension between them was short-lived though.

"Hey, tell me more about the stray that visits you every night."

She groaned at his query. "Can we just drop this subject about this mangy cat and move on?"

"I'm just curious whether he's handsome or not."

"Do you have an animal fetish you might want to disclose, Adrien Agreste?"

"Not that I'm aware of, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." he mused at her childish pouts. "What's with this stray that you don't want to talk about?"

Because he's an imaginary cat in replace of a certain mangy Chat, was supposed to be her reply but ended up with "Because there's nothing to talk about."

"C'mon, Marinette. I'm not telling anyone. I promise."

Marinette raised a brow in disbelief. "Really?"

He nodded with a hand gesture near his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

She didn't know why her crush was so adamant knowing about the proverbial stray. Was he really an obsessive cat fanboy?

"He thinks he's handsome."

"What?"

"The stray. He thinks he's handsome," she told him. "Quite flirty if you ask me, and a bit handful. He's insufferable, you know, and will do anything that suits him best."

Adrien hummed "Sounds like he's a bother, eh?"

"I'd say, troublesome."

"So...you don't like him?"

Marinette shook her head at his deflated tone. "Not that I don't like him, but more like I'm worried about him."

"Worried? How so?"

"Erm, you see..." she chewed her lower lip. "He's not a stray, per se. He's a...housecat. He got this big round bell around his neck like a collar. He's prim and proper, which means that he came from a well-endowed household. But it seems like his owner rarely feeds him, or maybe they were feeding him but with small portions? I'm not sure."

"What saddens me most." the girl went on as she leaned on the railings. "Is the fact that he can go out freely without them knowing - and that's because nobody cared enough to check on him every night."

A few beats of silence has passed before he muttered.

"You really know him well, Marinette."

She shook her head again, with staid eyes on the orange sky. "I'm just making an assumption here. He's like a puzzle that needs to be solved, and it so happened that I'm into challenges."

"He's lucky to have you."

"Maybe." she pursed a grin. "I bet I'm just one of those girls he used to exploit with treats."

"If you're concerned about him checking on other people." Adrien suddenly reached for her hands then clasped it firmly. "Fret not, because you're the only girl he's seeing to every night."

"A - Adrien..."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat upon hearing his words. She glanced up to meet his gaze, only to lock on the sincerity projected by his emerald hues.

Her stomach lurched and felt like it was invaded by a swarm of butterflies. Her blood was being pumped by her heart so hard it started to climb up and drown her brains.

She swore his face was getting closer, but the loud honk that sounded below brought her back to reality.

"I - I - I'm so sorry!" Adrien stepped back like he just touched a scalding cast-iron. "I didn't mean to - I mean, I - "

She blinked at his stammering mess.

What the hell just happened?

Why did Adrien apologize to her?

Did she offend him enough to become a tomato red?

What in the world did she do to make him feel so guilty?

"I - I - I - It's okay, Adrien." she waved her arms casually. "No harm was done!"

He gave her a bewildered look like she just sprouted a third head.

"Really?"

"Yup!"

"You sure?"

"Uh - huh!"

"That's...cool."

"I believe your ride is here." she looked down and saw a familiar limousine. "I hope I'm not getting you into trouble."

"Me? Trouble? Pssh, why am I in trouble when you're the one who's in trouble?" he hastily slapped his mouth. "You're not in trouble - I mean, a trouble! You're not a trouble! Am I a trouble? Of course, I am."

"No, you're not." she clarified despite some confusions. "You can come back here anytime you want."

His eyes suddenly lit up. "Anytime?"

"Ye-yeah! Any - anytime!" she stuttered. She wanted to facepalm herself.

What's wrong with the date today?

The limousine honked again. "I think that's my call now. Can't make the Gori - I mean my bodyguard to wait longer."

Once they collected his things, the teens went downstairs and bid each other goodbye.

But before the vehicle could leave, Adrien opened the passenger's windows and shouted "Marinette!"

Not only Marinette but the entire neighborhood - including Tom and Sabine of course - turned around and saw how the blond model waved his hands enthusiastically in the air.

"Marinette!" he called her attention again. "Have I ever told you that you're an amazing person?"

The pig-tailed girl stilled in her tracks and almost forgot how to breathe.

He was spouting some praises about her, but she couldn't hear them anymore due to the loud poundings that overwhelmed her ears. Her brain got short-circuited and too fried up to register everything. Even her sight was blinded momentarily by his pearly smiles.

"Chat you later!" was the last words she remembered before the limousine zoomed away.

It took her several minutes to break her reverie.

"Marinette?" Tikki poked her side. "Marinette? Paging, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Please come back to us. Mari?"

"Tikki?" the girl finally croaked, with blanked eyes staring into the oblivion. "Am I still dreaming?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble Marinette, but no. This is a reality."

"Did I hear myself right? Adrien _the-perfect-guy_ Agreste said that I'm an ' _amazing person_ '?"

"Well, he literally screamed them on top of his lungs. I'm not surprised if the entire arrondissement heard him too."

Marinette sighed languidly, with hands pressed on her beating heart "I think I just died and went to Heaven."

"I believe so." the kwami chuckled. "You're standing here unfazed for almost half an hour to notice Chat."

The girl looked down and saw a mewling feline sitting on her feet.

"Oh, kitty." she picked Chat Blanc up then nuzzled his head lovingly. "I'm so happy that Adrien finally noticed me."

The affection made him purr contentedly.

"But if you think about it." she paused with a crestfallen expression. "He didn't know it was a fabricated lie."

"Oh, Marinette. You're already amazing regardless." Tikki soothed. "It's his loss if he doesn't see you that way, not yours."

The cat meowed as if to support the kwami's claims.

"Thanks, guys." the designer pecked a kiss on their foreheads then headed back to her room.

Later that night, Chat Noir dropped by not only to say ' _hi_ ' but to serenade her with a song about a bass and a trouble.

Good thing Marinette kept the spray bottle handy.


	14. Happy influenza day

Marinette wasn't sure how her body temperature changed from normal to 37.8°C overnight.

She was fine yesterday as she went to school and manned the bakery later in that afternoon. She was able to kick an Akuma's butt with Chat Noir before sundown and wrecked him in Ultimate Mecha Strike III with her unmasked self after dinner.

She slept way too early for her usual bedtime that night because Chat Noir had to leave for a ' _sunrise meeting_ '.

She didn't have any coughs or colds days prior that could hint her for some possible sickness. Her eating patterns were fine, her cycle was regular, her school work and designs weren't that stressful and her superhero business remained manageable.

So how come she ended up with flu?

"That's because your brain is not calibrated with your body, you Wonder Woman. Have you heard the word ' _moderately_ '?" Alya sighed while tucking her best friend back to her bed.

Her voice croaked "Alya?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm going to die today."

The bespectacled brunette rolled her eyes indignantly. "You're such a baby, Mari. Don't you agree with me, Chat?"

Chat Blanc flicked his tail as a response while sitting grumpily on his Master's bedside.

"While Nino's busy with his ' _second breakfast_ ' downstairs, Adrien will be absent today for a photo shoot." she went on. "Too bad. His sunshine presence might be able to lift your spirits up."

"I don't want him to see me this way." the designer plucked a tissue then blew her nose. "I feel like shit."

"Don't worry, you're the most adorable shit I've ever seen."

Marinette jolted when her feline pet pawed her duvet and curled himself on her stomach. Despite the heaviness, she couldn't help but smiled when her fluffy living heater began his truck-like purrs again.

"They said that cat's mirthful purrs have magical healings on humans." the bespectacled grinned as she reached the animal for a head scratch. Her action only doubled the reverberation.

"He's been doing a great job actually." the owner sighed contentedly. "If only you see me how I woke up like a famished zombie this morning."

"I can only imagine." the girl commented dryly.

"Alya?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you please buy me some fried _beondegi_?"

Alya's gagging sound earned a resentful pout.

"C'mon, there are several stalls near Mme. Le Chien's shop." the raven-haired whined.

"Regardless if the shop is two arrondissements away or just around the corner, I will definitely not going to buy anything exotic." the brunette puffed her cheeks. "I don't know what's wrong with your taste buds, Girl. I barely handled you eating ant's egg soup, but worms? What's next, aphids?"

Marinette's snorts might've been sarcastic if not for her clogged nose.

Eyeing the clock display, her best friend hastily stood up. "Oops, I only have ten minutes left until the school starts. Don't worry, I'll make sure to pass the message to Miss Bustier about your condition."

"How about my fried _beondegi_?" she asked wistfully but received no response.

Few minutes after Alya left, Sabine entered the room with a food tray.

Chat Blanc cracked his green eyes for a minute before closing them again. Then he resumed his incessant purrs.

"How's my sweetie?" the Chinese woman asked then placed the tray on the bedside.

Marinette sniffled then wiped her runny nose. "I think I'm dying, Maman."

Sabine only chuckled as she helped her daughter to sit comfortably with pillows tucked on her back. The movement cued the cat to scoot away for his own meal downstairs.

"Sorry for the intrusion, _maomi_." the mother apologized.

"Maman?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I eat _canyong_?"

Her mother shook her head. "That's too oily and salty for you."

"But I want anything that's oily and salty." the raven-haired girl whimpered.

"It'll make your fever worse, sweetie."

"But Maman - "

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Sabine chided. "Eat your congee now before it turns cold."

The designer ate her warm tasteless porridge without any qualms, then drank her bitter medicine under her mother's careful eyes.

Once she was left alone, a red kwami flew out from a cat bolster then hovered near her face "How are you feeling now, Marinette?"

"Horrible." was her honest reply. "So horrible, Tikki. I think I only have few days left."

Tikki rolled her eyes. "What a drama queen you are, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"I'm not a drama queen." she pouted cutely. "And don't scold me using my complete name. You know how much I hate that."

"Drama queen."

Marinette was about to sass back but her sneeze won over.

"You need to sleep more, Marinette." the kwami soothed as she nuzzled her charger's flushed cheeks. "And you're still hot. Rest now, and don't stress yourself."

"What if there's an Akuma -

"Chat Noir can handle it," she interjected with a firm voice. "Don't you trust your partner?"

The sick girl blinked her bleary eyes before answering "With all my heart."

Chat Blanc returned to his Master's side minutes later, and when she eased back to lie down, he immediately lurched on her sheets and licked her temple non-stop.

" _Chaton_ ," Marinette swore his rough tongue smelled like tuna. "Am I that stinky enough to earn a bath?"

Tikki giggled when the cat failed to understand her words.

His groomings finally lulled the designer back to sleep.

When she woke up an hour later, Chat Blanc was nowhere to be found. She was squirming at the loss of her heater.

"Chat?" she moaned weakly. "Kitty, come back here."

A rustling sound of her skylight caught her attention, followed by a menacing hiss.

"Chat, I need you," she called him again without turning around. "Let me hug you, kitty kitty. Chat. Chat."

"I'd be more than happy to be your cuddle buddy, Purr-incess."

She frowned at the familiar voice. "I'm not talking to you, monsieur. I'm talking to my cat."

"Meow-ch, you wound me, Princess!" Chat Noir gasped dramatically. "Let me tell you that this claw-some body is more suitable for cold weather."

"I'm not in the mood to play some games, Chat." she groaned, and when she turned around to face him, she saw that her Kitty wasn't in the mood either.

In fact, his uncanny green eyes were telling her that he was downright worried.

She shivered when his dark gloved hand brushed her locks lightly then parted it to reveal the blush she was damn well sure it wasn't due to her fever.

"You're not supposed to be here," she muttered, covering half of her face with blankets. "You'll get sick."

The feline hero chuckled. "What kind of Knight am I to abandon a Purr-incess who needs my su-purr-ior paw-tection?"

Her eye twitched irritably. "You and your puns are making my fever worse."

"Aww, but I'm here to make sure you're safe from harm." he smiled warmly as he caressed her face. "Have you taken your medicines?"

She chewed her lips as she mulled over "An hour ago, I believe."

"So you have three more hours to take your next dose. How about your meals? Have you taken your breakfast? Oh wait, you need some citrus intakes. Do you like oranges? How about apples? I've heard it keeps the doctors away."

" _Beondegi_." the girl whispered beneath her sheets.

"What is it, Princess? I know Ps and Ms are difficult to pronounce but - "

" _Beondegi_ ," she said it loudly. "The fried one. It's ah, erm, Korean food."

"Oh. Is it spicy? Because spicy may be good to clear out your nasal passage, but it may also cause some throat irritation and..."

She shook her head dumbly. No way she could ask him a favor on something that was considered gross by many.

Chat Noir gave her a bewildered look. "Hey, don't give that cat-itude like I just bullied your pet - "

An angry snarl from the stairs interrupted him.

"Okay, maybe I bullied your pet. A bit."

She scowled at his sly taunts.

"But what I'm saying is, don't get mad at me for having some concerns about your well-being." the hero continued. "Don't sulk there, Princess. You know I only want what's best for you."

"I'm not sulking."

"Yes you are, ma minette." he pulled down the sheet that was covering her mouth. "Aww, and you're pouting too. So cute~"

Her pout deepens. "I'm not your kitten."

"You are. I can even groom you right now." the black-clad hero stifled a laugh when the designer squirmed away. "Okay. How many _beondegis_ do you want?"

This perked Marinette up for a moment. "Do you know what _beondegi_ is?"

"Uhm, no? But I can look it up. Is it expensive or - "

"No, no, no, no! Don't search it! It's fine!" she yelped when she hastily sat up and triggered her dizzy spells.

The feline hero immediately caught her then reclined her back warily to the headboard. "Whoa, careful there Princess! Don't be so cat-astic, okay? I paw-mise I'll buy them fur mew."

"Are you sure?"

The sparkles on her bluebell eyes earned a lop-sided grin. "Paw-sitive."

When she scrunched her nose, he grabbed a tissue box then handed it to her. After she plucked a few pieces, she covered her nose for a good sneeze.

"God bless you." was all he could say.

"Sorry, Chat." she apologized meekly. "And thanks. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"Pssh, you can keep the money. Your happiness is enough..." his voice trailed off when he saw her clock. "Oh, crap! I am over break for five minutes!"

Her brows furrowed on his panic state. "Don't tell me you're not supposed to be here, Kitty?"

"Well, when a birdie notified me that you're sick today, all I could think of was to see you immediately." he blushed as he rubbed his neck. "So I may or may not asked someone for a toilet break to come here...?"

"That must be a long toilet break, Chat." she deadpanned.

"I know right?"

The raven-haired girl waved her hand. "Leave now, you silly cat, before they could skin you chop."

"I don't know if I already told you this." Chat Noir reached for a strand of her dark hair then kissed it. "I like it when you let your hair down, Marinette."

Boy, was her fever went up to forty-ish there.

"I'll be back before you know it, Princess." he winked then left.

Chat Blanc poked his head to check if the coast was clear before his entire body could emerge from the stairs.

"You do really hate Blackey, don't you?" Marinette shook her head exasperatedly then patted the space beside her. "Come here, kitty kitty."

The cat obeyed her with no questions asked.

A few hours later, she was roused up for her medicine.

"There's a plate of cheese crackers and cookies here in case you feel hungry," Sabine told her. "I'll be leaving your trapdoor open so that you can call me if you need something else."

"Yes, Maman."

Marinette couldn't sleep after that.

She tried to get up and do some sketches but her body was too groggy to cooperate. Inspiration be damned, she pulled out some fashion magazines and checked some runway shows from her tablet but her nagging migraine would force her to shut her eyes closed. She opened her phone to read some text messages from her friends, only to decide not to reply them until the end of their class.

Lying on her bed, she could feel the heavy purrs of her cat that was sprawling on her side. She also heard small clutterings from Tikki as she munched her treats on her bedside table. The bustling sound of Parisian traffic outside, the chirpings of the birds that perched on her window sill...

And the silent footsteps from her balcony made her smile.

' _Silly Kitty_.' she bemused mentally. ' _He doesn't know how to keep his priorities straight_.'

The designer feigned ignorance and acted like she was sleeping when her skylight swung open. By that time, she knew her kwami already hid somewhere safe so she was a bit complacent when her visitor landed on all fours.

Chat Blanc unfurled himself from his Master's side then gave the said visitor an unwelcome growl.

" _This is not for you, Whitey_." the deep voice scoffed then hissed " _Don't eat that, Plagg_!"

 _Plug?_

When Marinette opened her eyes then turned around, she didn't expect to be greeted by a different pair of green hues.

The designer immediately sat bolt upright.

" _A - A - A - Adrien_?!"


	15. Caught a bug

Marinette wasn't sure how to react when a certain blond boy jerked before her like a frightened cat.

" _Ma - Ma - Ma - Ma - Marinette_?!" Adrien sputtered as he dropped down and sprawled unceremoniously on the floor. She noticed that he was fisting something _black_ , but before she could identify it, he immediately shoved it into his pocket. Then he sat ramrod straight and squeaked. "A - A - A - A - Are you awake?!"

The designer remained impassive as she blinked at him owlishly.

No way in hell someone like Adrien Agreste would visit her while he was somewhere doing an out of town photo shoot.

Unless...

"Erm, Marinette?" the blond called her name again. He even waved his hand to snap her reverie but failed. "Earth to Marinette?"

She just sat and stared at him like a frozen doll.

The panic that was marred on the boy's face a while ago was immediately replaced by a deep concern. With hunched shoulders, he went closer to her bed and reached her hand. "Hey, are you alright?"

Unfortunately, the poor girl's brain ceased to function not only because she was horribly sick, but because her unrequited crush was visiting her - and _ohmygosh_ he was touching her - in her dreams.

Well, what would be the best plausible reason other than that?

"Why don't you lie down, _non_?" the model offered, which earned him a quick nod.

Marinette heard his relaxed sigh when she obediently eased her back from the headboard, and more when she allowed him to pull her blankets in and wrap it around her lithe body.

Somehow she was glad her Maman helped her change her sweaty PJs to a fresh, flowery ones a few hours ago.

Not that it mattered actually.

To provide more comfort, Adrien puffed her pillows carefully and tucked them to her sides. He even smothered the edges of her duvet to eliminate some creases, only to pause a bit when he palmed her sketchbook underneath the material.

His brows furrowed.

"Aren't you supposed to take a rest?"

 _Oops_?

The designer averted her gaze guiltily.

She didn't know why, but there was something on his glowering emerald eyes that reminded her of a certain Kitty. It was a scolding expression he usually makes whenever Ladybug performed a ludicrous task.

It was strange how Adrien copied it with ease.

Before she could reply, a menacing hiss from the loft stairs caught their attention.

From the sound of it, Marinette realized that Chat Blanc also invaded her dreams - which wasn't a surprise considering how her pet harbored a mysterious animosity towards Adrien.

What she didn't expect was Adrien would make an animalistic hiss as a reply.

"..."

"..."

Then there was a moment of awkward silence.

"..."

"..."

When the blond slowly turned his head around, he gulped audibly upon meeting her stony expression. He was ready to stammer an apology when all of a sudden, the girl broke a fit of laughs.

"Oh my gosh, you're acting just like Chat Noir!" she declared between guffaws.

Adrien blushed profusely, and the way he incessantly rubbed his neck told her that he didn't expect himself to carry such weird attitude.

Or shall we say, cat-titude?

"Erm, you-you think so?"

"All you need is a black mask." Marinette wiped her nose with a tissue, balled it then dumped it in her waste bin without hoisting herself up. "He does that whenever he was displeased with something. Not to mention he cackles every time a pigeon flew by. Like he's offended by its feathers."

"Wo - wow." he gave a nervous chuckle. "I can't believe you re - really know him that - that well."

"Of course. Because he's - AH - " she paused to cover her mouth. "CHOO!"

"God bless you."

The girl wrinkled her nose with displeasure, then sneezed again.

"ACHOO!"

"You ought to take a rest, Marinette." he chuckled in a lighter tone.

Her lids were getting heavier each passing second, and with a bleary sight, she decided to shut it for a bit.

"So...going back to our topic." she heard him muttering. "What do you think of Chat Noir?"

"Huh?"

"Erm, you confirmed that you know him right? Why is that?"

Oh.

Marinette cracked a smile, and with eyes remained closed she answered. "He's one of my best friends."

His silent response was lulling her back to sleep.

Wait, is it normal to feel sleepy while dreaming?

She heard her bed creaked when Adrien sat on her duvet and felt the callouses of his fingertips when he brushed a hair strand from her cheek.

Never in her life she ever experienced a dream so surreal that this.

"Hey," he whispered in a cheery tone. "You're one his best friends too, Princess."

The designer beamed at the thought.

"Adrien?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell Chat about it, okay?" she murmured. "Or...or you'll inflate his ego."

He snorted before responding "You can count on me."

"And Adrien?"

"Hmm?"

"You might be cute, and I'm flattered..." she drawled, trying to keep her consciousness at bay. "...but no one can call me Princess...except my Kitty."

She barely registered the hitch of his voice, the damp kiss that was planted on her temple, and the endearment of "Get well soon, Marinette." when she embraced sleep.

Her mother roused her up moments later for her next dose of medicines.

"Congratulations. Your fever's gone." Sabine told her after checking the thermometer, then noticed her daughter's blanked expression. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Marinette shook her head. "Nothing, Maman. I'm just trying to decipher the meaning of my dream."

"Was it good or bad?"

"Good, I guess? I mean, Adrien paid me a get-well-soon visit."

The Chinese woman caressed her daughter's face with a smile. "You know, they said that the person who appears in your dreams is the one that thinks of you the most."

The designer perked up. "You think so?"

"Without a doubt, _mon cherie_."

Marinette slid herself on her sheets blissfully as her mother gathered her medicine pouch, water bottle, and an empty plate of cheese crackers.

Cheese crackers she damn well sure she left it untouched.

"Maman?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you seen Chat?"

"Downstairs." was the response. "Banned to climb back here because he spilled the entire bottle of vinegar all over himself."

"He's not hurt, by the way." she went on. "That silly feline of yours kept pawing your trap door, then finally decided to make a ruckus in the kitchen in order to call our attention. Good thing the bottle was made out of plastic instead of a glass, else it'll be a bloody hell. Why did you lock your trap door in the first place?"

She didn't, as far as she recalled, but decided to drop the issue.

Tikki flew out from her confinement a minute after Sabine left the room.

"Chat Noir was here." the kwami told her.

Well, that explains why her trap door was locked.

"That silly Kitty must've barred my cat." the designer snickered at their ridiculousness. "What did he do, Tikki?"

"Aside from checking you out." she teased which earned an eye roll. "He left you something."

She pointed the brown paper bag tucked behind the lampshade.

Marinette's eyes became misty when she recognized the packaging and broke a watery laugh when she opened the contents.

Chat Noir bought her Le Chien's special fried _beondegi_.

A Korean snack made of crispy silkworms doused with sesame oil and salt.

Oh, how she wanted to kiss her Kitty.

"' _Ma Purr-incesse, I had to cat-ch these bugs fur mew - love CN_ '" she read the attached sticky note then groaned. "Why must he ruin everything with a pun?"

Tikki flew in front of her Chosen's face when she snuck her hand into the bag. "Didn't your mother tell you not to eat anything oily and salty?"

Marinette blanched, then clutched the paper bag to her chest as if protecting it from her kwami's grasp. "Bu-but I'm okay now!"

She squirmed from Tikki's scolding glare.

"C'mon Tikki, a single bite won't hurt." the girl bemoaned. "Besides, what would Chat Noir going to say if he learned that I did not appreciate his gift?"

"You manipulated him to buy it for you."

"I did not." she huffed offensively. "I asked."

"Same thing."

Marinette pouted indignantly then flashed her most pitiful eyes. "Please, Tikki. _Beondegi_ is one of my comfort foods. It's my lifeblood. Can you imagine your life without cookies?"

"Fine!" the kwami threw her arms in the air then flew back to her nest. "Don't you ever blame me if you got sick again!"

"Yay!"

Excitedly, the designer grabbed a handful of fried silkworms then ate it wholeheartedly.

It was tasteless because of her clogged nose, but the greasiness and crunchiness made everything delicious. The sand-like feel was present on her tongue, and within few minutes she finished the entire bag.

 _Oops_?

"Mari?" a familiar voice sounded below.

Marinette immediately threw the paper bag in her wastebin then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She gave a toothy grin when Alya emerged from the stairs with Chat Blanc tucked on the sides.

"Yuck, your cat stinks!" the bespectacled brunette grimaced as she placed the white cat on the floor. Said white cat mewled defensively. "Hey girl, I brought you apples. To keep the doctors away."

"Thanks."

"Sabine said that you're not feverish anymore," Alya said while placing the basket of fruits on her bedside table. "Does that mean I'll be seeing you at school tomorrow?"

"I sure hope so," she replied, plucking Chat Blanc away when he tried to claw an apple. "How's school by the way?"

"Boring because you're not there. No homework. Anyways, I'm here to show you something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Alya was quite giddy when she loaded a page of her blog on her phone. Once the article was up, she shoved the screen in her best friend's face.

Marinette squinted when she saw the title.

' _Chat Noir Has A Thing Towards Bugs...And Worms Too_?'

Attached to the article was a group picture consist of a feline superhero and the entire crew of a certain Korean Resto.

Chat Noir might be smiling, but the girl knew him better.

"One of my followers submitted that picture." the brunette explained with glee. "Who would've thought Chat Noir has knacks on exotic foods?"

Marinette was in the middle of reading the entire post when her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Um, I don't know?" the designer winced when her stomach grumbled again. "I think I'm going to...to..."

She pressed her palm on her stomach, and when the third grumble sounded, she hurriedly rushed towards the toilet.

Alya maintained a stoic stare when she looked at her fleeting best friend, then fought a grin when she heard a loud ' _PRRRRRRT_ ' coming from downstairs.

Her attention was diverted when Chat Blanc pawed something on the waste bin.

.

.

.

.

"Where's Marinette?" Nino asked when he saw the vacant seat beside Alya. "I thought she's okay."

"Constipation. That silly flake ate something that made her stomach upset." the brunette sighed then looked on his side. "Another photo shoot for Sunshine Boy again?"

"Not this time." Nino sighed then showed her a text message. "It seems that Adrien also caught a bug."


End file.
